17 July 2024

PTSD and Tears

I don't normally watch the conventions of political parties.
Normally.
But my wife has, believe it or not, become more of a political junkie than me.
(She barely chats with her relatives in Chicago, and WON'T visit them unless there's a death there.)

I don't know if it is my wife's present political interests... or the fact we were watching LIVE while some stupid 20-yr old tried to make history last Saturday.
I'm sure all of us who watched that now have an "I remember it vividly" story to tell.
When I heard the shots and Trump fell to the floor of the stage I shouted out loud "THEY'VE SHOT HIM!"
Sara Jean literally went into hysterics.
When he rose to his feet, behind the (much too short) female Secret Service agent and I saw the blood trickling down the right side of his face I shouted, "THEY'VE SHOT HIM IN THE HEAD!",
And anyone my age who has seen "The Zapruder" film knew the man was gonna die.
But GOD, not the shooter, had a plan.
And when we heard the news that he was pretty much okay?
I cried.

Now, we've been watching CSPAN... every single damn moment of this convention, and I want Madeline Brame to move into the house next door to us.

When the National Anthem is played or sung...
the tears flow.

When the Pledge of Allegiance is recited...
I cry.

And when I detect the sadness in the eyes of my former president...
I cry.

Sara Jean is sure it is PTSD that is affecting me.
That may be true.

And I'm just as sure that the sadness I see in Donald Trump's eyes is also PTSD.

I'd appreciate your comments.

4 comments:

Well Seasoned Fool said...

1963, halfway through A.I.T at Ft Leonard Wood, we had just road marched in freezing sleet from one of the firing ranges to our equally freezing barracks when the Company Clerk came running in with the news JFK was assassinated. While I cannot express exactly how deep and profound the news hit me, I experienced much the same emotion when I heard the news about the attack on President Trump.

PTSD. When my youngest came home from Kandahar with the 4th ID, he was having problems and sought counselling. That helped, but he later told me my counsel helped the most. "Son, shit happens. Deal with it".

Old NFO said...

Agreed. We have to deal and move on. THAT is the best action.

Rain Trueax said...

I watch no TV now; so saw none of this live. I saw the clips then because Stu of the Glenn Beck show talked about it and I could not believe it until I saw it on the other internet programs. I didn't cry, as I rarely do, but I felt the inner heartbreak of what it meant and even more when I later saw people i had considered distant friends wishing it had been worse because they are lefties with no clue how bad this for either side when violence is some kind of solution to political differences. I also though don't believe this shooter was political. He was a typical nutcase who wanted some kind of distorted fame. So heartbreaking.

Anonymous said...

Was it GOD's plan to kill that firefighter instead? I guess you never know what's coming for you.