wounded warrior

 Excerpt from “WOUNDED WARRIOR”  (ISBN  1-59052-705-4)

Survival Guide for When You Are Beat Up.. Burned Out.. or Battle Weary

          “I Was in Shock  -  Standing at the edge of the ocean… staring at the waves. I never knew I could hurt so much.  If it had been only physical pain.. I could have clenched my teeth.. and dealt with it.   But it was a deep emotional pain.. from a wound that had torn my heart in two.. shattered my spirit.. and left me aching.. in ways I never thought possible.

I had never felt so alone.

          It felt like my life was over.  I felt broken.. empty.. hopeless.  So what should I do now?… Should I live.. or die?.. I didn’t know.. I didn’t care.. I just stood there.  Waiting… Waiting   ..   I didn’t know what I was waiting for.. just waiting.  Finally.. I went home… fell into bed.. and tried to sleep… but I couldn’t sleep  ~  the Nightmares came again. 

Maybe tomorrow will be better.

        The next morning.. the sun rose.  Things weren’t better.  I didn’t want to get out of bed.  I didn’t feel like doing anything.  But.. something inside me.. urged me to take a deep breath.. and give it a try.  I couldn’t give up.   So.. I launched into life .. as best I could   -   going through the motions… .. still the Wounded Warrior .. who daily bound up his injuries .. and marched resolutely forward  -   battered.. bleeding  ..  silently suffering.

        But it wasn’t easy - It was hard.. real hard – and.. it hurt.. it really hurt.”

     My name is Grant Dorothy.  I am a Vietnam combat veteran… critically wounded in May of 1970  ..   my experiences left me with physical impairments.. chronic pain.. survivor’s guilt.. moral distress.. and what today is called PTSD.

     Since sobriety in 1986.. I have been on a continuing  journey.. to manage my pain.. and finding inner peace and serenity.. necessary to live.. a fully wholesome life.