Veterans Day, or What The Fuck Are We Doing Again With This Shit.

[auntiesiannan]

My dad was a WW2 veteran. Purple Heart, Silver Star, lost a hand at the Bulge. Lifelong untreated PTSD. Night terrors. Saw some shit on a scale of the opening scenes of Saving Private Ryan. Self-medicated with screwdrivers. I think having to learn to write with his non-dominant hand fucked up his brain, too

Comments

[ravenfeather]

Changing handedness DOES affect how you think. I began as ambidextrous in the time when kids were hit with rulers to keep us from "learning" to write with our left hands. When I reached adulthood I retrained myself to type, and use a mouse with both hands, and sort of write, as I could already cook and use tools with both hands. I was amazed at how my thinking changed.

Interestingly, I have PTSD as well, so I don't know if the change of handedness only affects those of us who have broken coping mechanisms or everyone.

[new_wave_witch]

Heeeey my grandpa was in BOTB too. Also, LJ is waking up again. Also, AHHHHH.

[oddharmonic]

Ditto on the changing handedness affecting thinking - my grandmother had to when she was young after an accident with a laundry wringer.

I inherited a plastic container with some military medals after my grandfather passed. I still have to submit record requests to confirm I've got it all, but it looks like I have my grandfather's WWII ribbons (he served late in the Pacific theater and that's all I know about it), my great-grandfather's WWI ribbons, *and* a set of 22nd Massachusetts unit insignia from the Civil War that I think were my 2nd-great-grandfather's.