Things Others Complain About & PTSD

_______

Author's Note: One of the hardest adjustments service men and women have to make when coming home from the fighting, is adjusting to listening to what they consider petty complaints they hear from other Americans, while they know that military men and women just like themselves are living constantly in harm's way. The thought occurred to juxtapose civilian complaints and frontline military complaints to try to illustrate why this can be such a hard thing to adjust to when the military personnel return home.

_______

That crazy @!&* driver cut me off!

Keep your head down! Did you come to fight, or die!

This soup you just served me is lukewarm!

I can't seem to get used to these MRE even after almost a year of eating the same ones.

Did you use up all the hot water, again!?

What I wouldn't give just to be able to wash up and change my underwear!

I'm getting so much email, don't some people have anything better to do?!

When are we finally going to get some mail? I feel like I'm forgotten out here!

Do we really have to go to both the viewing and the funeral!?

At least I got to salute him before they took his body away. He was a great officer.

Somebody drove their big truck over the edge of our lawn last night!

I sure don't want to be the lead vehicle in this convoy, but I wish we didn't have to eat the dust from everyone up front of us.

This bed isn't soft enough! Let's make the hotel give us another room.

I'm so dog tired that I could sleep on a bed of nails!

What would you like to drink besides this restaurant's chlorinated ice water?

I knew I was going to wish I had two canteens. It's another hot one and it's still morning.

Let's go inside. The mosquitoes are terrible tonight!

We need a break to pick off the blood suckers we picked up crossing that last stream.

Can't you tear yourself away from that ball game and help by drying the dishes!?

Remember when we were back home and used to just help our Moms with the dishes and talk?

Turn off that TV and come to bed! You know I can't sleep with that noise!

I swear the nights out here in the boonies on alert are always longer than the days.

Can't you at least pick up your dirty clothes and throw them in the laundry basket?!

At least we don't have to pick up the shell casings after every exchange of fire! Next thing you know, we'll have to, or they'll cut our defense budget again!

There go those neighbors again! Don't they ever go a day without arguing!?

It's the dead quiet that's so unnerving when we know the enemy is right out there.

How much further do we have to drive before we get home? I'm tired!

Just think, only another 11 months and we can hop a free plane ride to the States, and home!

_______

Author's Note: Say a prayer for the military members of our society, and consider a donaton to the USO which does such a good job of saying "The folks back home care."

_______

© 2012 Demas W. Jasper All rights reserved.