I've been wanting to do another post, but haven't liked to much what I've been writing about so up until now I've scrapped every idea that came out for some reason or another. Now I think I finally have a topic to talk about, but it's not one I'm very fond of honestly.
Today was a pretty good day overall. Started out well with rollerblading with a friend, then came home ate more food lol, got my room in order, put in a few more job applications, and hung out with friends. The more I continue to push forward with the doctor appointments with the VA the tougher it gets for me to control my mood, it seems more then often my days shrink away and I'm left feeling isolated. Here are some pretty cold hard truths about me: 1) I don't trust people easily because I was burned my a close friend from my high school days, 2) I have struggled with rejection and acceptance most of my life, 3) I struggle trusting God and myself. It's hard for me to share this with others, but it's all a part of me right now. Do I like these thing ? No, I want change to happen, but I'm just not sure where to start.
There are a lot of positives about me and who I am along with my relationship with Jesus and God. There has been a lot of frustration lately and I'm not sure what I can do about it. I look at my peers meaning other Christians who I'm around, but not really my age because we're two very different groups. And I think wow could I be more different from these people ? One thing I do love that God is doing which is how He's using the body of believers that He has put around me in this time of my life to help guide me, teach me, and use me in many different ways. The truth is God really knows what he's doing and I say that with all the confidence in my heart. I've got some great godly men and women around, peers who really love God and not just on the surface, they continue to push me in ways that help propel me with my walk with God and Jesus. I do believe that God is using this time in my life to teach me a lot of different things and I don't really know why exactly, but I know He does.
It's different when people who are your peers thank for your service to your country. A good example of this is a woman I know who is probably only twenty or so has thanked me for my service on two different occasions. The first time she did this I appreciated it, the second time and I don't know, but I burst into laughter(maybe because I knew it was coming!!). It's just really difficult to interact with a group of people when you really don't have any of the same experiences as them. They are at the age I was when I getting ready to deploy to Iraq or when I was in Iraq fighting for my country. How strange is that ? Really! I'm mean seriously one of probably my closest friends was in 10th grade when I was in Iraq. Now tell me that isn't strange at all and what's funny is I can continue on and on with stuff that just doesn't make sense at all with what I'm experiencing now in my life. Well it's 00:34 or 12:34 for you non military types which means it's time for this guy to get some sleep. Good night and sleep tight.
© Nathan Fahlin
Tuesday, August 30, 2011
Thursday, August 18, 2011
Normal or Not
It's that's simple if you ask me. I'm not going to define what normal or what is not normal, but what I want to do is to simply show you all the difference between safe and not safe...........maybe that's a better title oh well.
The general reality of this topic is that most people like to live safe and peaceful lives with the least amount of stress in their homes and families. See we have a choice to make in our lives and with what we do for our professions. I think the majority of people who rather work in an office building rather then do something dangerous like being a cop or fire fighter and if you wanna go really extreme look at the men and women who give their lives to being in the military. Lots of times these people are running toward the danger putting their own lives at risk to come and help others in their time of need. I can't speak for everyone, but I can speak for myself and why I choose what I do for a career.
For me it's all help severing whether it's for the country, state, city, or whatever it is. I made a choice a long time ago to be a soldier and I've taken an in depth look at that decision. I'm a protector through and through that's the way I've been wired. It's not really normal for people to be running toward burning building making sure people aren't trapped inside or running toward a fire fight where people are injured or possibly dying. Those things aren't natural for most people and therefore those who do those professions aren't normal, not that I'm saying being either is bad.
Now I'm going to take a turn here and talk about something that's very different, but to me it relates to this topic very clearly. See we have a choice as Christians to make as well. We have the choice to live a safe comfortable life in our homes or we can trust God and take a huge step of faith to live a life worth living. A life that will make an impact, a lasting impression around those who know us. See there are a lot of different views and thoughts as to how Christians choose to live their lives. For me it's all about making a difference, getting into the game, staying plugged in. What this means for me is putting my life into the hands God and trusting him that he will completely meet my needs, yet there is one small problem I like having things planned out. Trusting that God knows what's best for me and not leaning on my own understanding. I'm sure a lot of people would look at this and be like umm are you nuts ?, but this is again another piece of the puzzle showing others that who I am and what I want to do with my life is not normal. Does this mean that I want to be an overseas missionary no it does not, but what it does mean is that I don't want someone else doing what God wanted me to do in the first place.
I choose to answer the call God has put on my life, I choose to be different then the rest of my peers by living the life God has called me to live so that everything that I do is done for him. To me it's all being the difference maker, to get in the game. See to me we as followers of Jesus we were meant to be something more, we were meant to be courageous and passion about the kingdom. Well there it is this is the difference between living a comfortable christian life and a radical christian life. This is the choice to live in our big comfortable houses with more then what we need or to get something that fits our every need in a place where we can make a difference. I want to be that difference maker, I want to be live the live God has called me to whatever that is and wherever he takes me.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pkM-gDcmJeM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y8BBCYFAYRI&ob=av2e
© Nathan Fahlin
The general reality of this topic is that most people like to live safe and peaceful lives with the least amount of stress in their homes and families. See we have a choice to make in our lives and with what we do for our professions. I think the majority of people who rather work in an office building rather then do something dangerous like being a cop or fire fighter and if you wanna go really extreme look at the men and women who give their lives to being in the military. Lots of times these people are running toward the danger putting their own lives at risk to come and help others in their time of need. I can't speak for everyone, but I can speak for myself and why I choose what I do for a career.
For me it's all help severing whether it's for the country, state, city, or whatever it is. I made a choice a long time ago to be a soldier and I've taken an in depth look at that decision. I'm a protector through and through that's the way I've been wired. It's not really normal for people to be running toward burning building making sure people aren't trapped inside or running toward a fire fight where people are injured or possibly dying. Those things aren't natural for most people and therefore those who do those professions aren't normal, not that I'm saying being either is bad.
Now I'm going to take a turn here and talk about something that's very different, but to me it relates to this topic very clearly. See we have a choice as Christians to make as well. We have the choice to live a safe comfortable life in our homes or we can trust God and take a huge step of faith to live a life worth living. A life that will make an impact, a lasting impression around those who know us. See there are a lot of different views and thoughts as to how Christians choose to live their lives. For me it's all about making a difference, getting into the game, staying plugged in. What this means for me is putting my life into the hands God and trusting him that he will completely meet my needs, yet there is one small problem I like having things planned out. Trusting that God knows what's best for me and not leaning on my own understanding. I'm sure a lot of people would look at this and be like umm are you nuts ?, but this is again another piece of the puzzle showing others that who I am and what I want to do with my life is not normal. Does this mean that I want to be an overseas missionary no it does not, but what it does mean is that I don't want someone else doing what God wanted me to do in the first place.
I choose to answer the call God has put on my life, I choose to be different then the rest of my peers by living the life God has called me to live so that everything that I do is done for him. To me it's all being the difference maker, to get in the game. See to me we as followers of Jesus we were meant to be something more, we were meant to be courageous and passion about the kingdom. Well there it is this is the difference between living a comfortable christian life and a radical christian life. This is the choice to live in our big comfortable houses with more then what we need or to get something that fits our every need in a place where we can make a difference. I want to be that difference maker, I want to be live the live God has called me to whatever that is and wherever he takes me.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pkM-gDcmJeM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y8BBCYFAYRI&ob=av2e
© Nathan Fahlin
Friday, August 12, 2011
Marriage and Me(I guess)
Well this will certainly be a most interesting topic and maybe this is a little much, but it's a risk I'm willing to take. Those of you who are following my blog will see a large portion of my heart and with that comes a certain vulnerability.
For some reason or another people think being that I'm 27 years old that I should be getting married and let me tell you right now if you think for one moment that you can try to set me up with someone you got another thing coming. There will probably a lot of baggage that comes out, but it's stuff that I deal with and no one seems to notice or if they do they just don't think that it's a big deal. Right now as it is I know I want to get married someday, but do I think I'm ready for another person to enter into my world right now that is a very good question, but I'm afraid to say only time will tell.
Lets get something straight right now and have a good hard look at the facts of me. I'm 27 years old who's already been through more then most people will experience in their entire lives in this country. In one night I was blown up by an I.E.D. E.F.P. (Improvised Explosive Device, Explosively Formed Penetrator) which should of killed all of us that night, but it didn't we survived. All three of us are walking miracles if you ask me and it's all thanks to God and that is something I 100% truly believe from the bottom of my heart. With these experiences comes certain side affects if you follow me here. There are a lot of things that I'm just now starting to deal with and trying to figure out what's going on with me so I can adapt and overcome this crap with hopes to preform better in college along with the rest of my life. This means that I simply don't have the background that a lot of the people I hang out with at my church and at college which makes times hard because I'm forced into a world where I don't feel comfortable. (I have close friends and they know what's really happening with me and let me tell you right now, better friends there are none. They continue to lift me up with encouragement, make me laugh, bring joy to gloomy days, display the right perspective that I need to have with life among other things. I have two of the best spiritual leaders a guy could ever ask for in my pastors. They continue to push me and challenge me in becoming more and more like Christ, becoming that Godly Man that I am needed to be. For that I'm truly grateful and yeah it's a bit of rant, but they need to know how much they mean to me.)
When people talk about marriage and me in the same sentence I tend to just shake my head because it's always at times in my life where frankly I'm at a low point or struggling with stuff. They have no idea what's going inside of me and I don't know if they just assume that I need a wife or a girlfriend or whatever and that is beyond my reasoning. Sometimes I wonder if they even consider what I would have to say before even opening their mouths. My first question is: "Do they know me well enough ?", "Will they accept my answer regardless of what it is?", and "Have they known me long enough to judge my character?" Every time someone presents me with the idea of dating woman these are the questions I ask myself to evaluate the worth of what they have to say. One thing that continually bugs is that people think since I'm 27 that I should be married, but the facts that I'm still in college, living at home, jobless jump out right away to me along with the facts that I hate the whole crap that comes with trying to figure out if people like you or they are just being nice. For me you best just spell it out sister cause this guy just doesn't read the signs or signals. HECK! You might as well use smoke signals or talk to me in a foreign language. I will say this if you want my attention because you like just blatantly tell me or I'm as likely to pass it over as being hit on and the truth is I don't much care for it. It maybe flattering, but that is not the way this guy rolls ya hear.
The truth is I have faults just like everyone and I know that I'm not prefect trust me, but I continue to push forward to achieve the goals that have been set before with school, life, and to continue to strive toward the glory of what it means to be more refined to the image of Christ Jesus. It brings me great comfort reading verses such as the one that talks about, "the good work that has begun in you will be brought to a completion and that I have run a race and have reached the goal." To me a guy who's looking at the possibility of being diagnosed with P.T.S.D. this brings me great comfort to know that someday it won't be there anymore along with the other issues I've dealt with from Iraq.
So I leave you all with this. Please refrain from trying to set me up with women and if you do dare to set me up then you best believe that you know me well enough to encourage a relationship or at least the pursuit of one. If you respect me then you will truly and carefully consider my character and whom I'm becoming as I continue to seek after Christ Jesus and continue to be reforged into his image. It is now 1:12 am and I am going to bed so good night and God Bless!
© Nathan Fahlin
For some reason or another people think being that I'm 27 years old that I should be getting married and let me tell you right now if you think for one moment that you can try to set me up with someone you got another thing coming. There will probably a lot of baggage that comes out, but it's stuff that I deal with and no one seems to notice or if they do they just don't think that it's a big deal. Right now as it is I know I want to get married someday, but do I think I'm ready for another person to enter into my world right now that is a very good question, but I'm afraid to say only time will tell.
Lets get something straight right now and have a good hard look at the facts of me. I'm 27 years old who's already been through more then most people will experience in their entire lives in this country. In one night I was blown up by an I.E.D. E.F.P. (Improvised Explosive Device, Explosively Formed Penetrator) which should of killed all of us that night, but it didn't we survived. All three of us are walking miracles if you ask me and it's all thanks to God and that is something I 100% truly believe from the bottom of my heart. With these experiences comes certain side affects if you follow me here. There are a lot of things that I'm just now starting to deal with and trying to figure out what's going on with me so I can adapt and overcome this crap with hopes to preform better in college along with the rest of my life. This means that I simply don't have the background that a lot of the people I hang out with at my church and at college which makes times hard because I'm forced into a world where I don't feel comfortable. (I have close friends and they know what's really happening with me and let me tell you right now, better friends there are none. They continue to lift me up with encouragement, make me laugh, bring joy to gloomy days, display the right perspective that I need to have with life among other things. I have two of the best spiritual leaders a guy could ever ask for in my pastors. They continue to push me and challenge me in becoming more and more like Christ, becoming that Godly Man that I am needed to be. For that I'm truly grateful and yeah it's a bit of rant, but they need to know how much they mean to me.)
When people talk about marriage and me in the same sentence I tend to just shake my head because it's always at times in my life where frankly I'm at a low point or struggling with stuff. They have no idea what's going inside of me and I don't know if they just assume that I need a wife or a girlfriend or whatever and that is beyond my reasoning. Sometimes I wonder if they even consider what I would have to say before even opening their mouths. My first question is: "Do they know me well enough ?", "Will they accept my answer regardless of what it is?", and "Have they known me long enough to judge my character?" Every time someone presents me with the idea of dating woman these are the questions I ask myself to evaluate the worth of what they have to say. One thing that continually bugs is that people think since I'm 27 that I should be married, but the facts that I'm still in college, living at home, jobless jump out right away to me along with the facts that I hate the whole crap that comes with trying to figure out if people like you or they are just being nice. For me you best just spell it out sister cause this guy just doesn't read the signs or signals. HECK! You might as well use smoke signals or talk to me in a foreign language. I will say this if you want my attention because you like just blatantly tell me or I'm as likely to pass it over as being hit on and the truth is I don't much care for it. It maybe flattering, but that is not the way this guy rolls ya hear.
The truth is I have faults just like everyone and I know that I'm not prefect trust me, but I continue to push forward to achieve the goals that have been set before with school, life, and to continue to strive toward the glory of what it means to be more refined to the image of Christ Jesus. It brings me great comfort reading verses such as the one that talks about, "the good work that has begun in you will be brought to a completion and that I have run a race and have reached the goal." To me a guy who's looking at the possibility of being diagnosed with P.T.S.D. this brings me great comfort to know that someday it won't be there anymore along with the other issues I've dealt with from Iraq.
So I leave you all with this. Please refrain from trying to set me up with women and if you do dare to set me up then you best believe that you know me well enough to encourage a relationship or at least the pursuit of one. If you respect me then you will truly and carefully consider my character and whom I'm becoming as I continue to seek after Christ Jesus and continue to be reforged into his image. It is now 1:12 am and I am going to bed so good night and God Bless!
© Nathan Fahlin
Wednesday, August 10, 2011
Veterans and Society
Yeah this is going to probably tick some people off, but it needs to come out. The truth about two very different cultures and why both sides have an extremely hard time dealing with each other. I hinted about something in a previous post and this is exactly what I've been wanting to talk about.
So where to begin................oh I know lets take a trip through the past and lets look at what happened during the 60s and 70s with the treatment of veterans returning home from war. I specifically want to look back at the Vietnam era. Arguably this was the worst treatment of American service men and women then of any generation that had gone off to war( I'm not going into politics so don't bring it up if you comment, thank). What these veterans endured no one should of, but it happened I mean we're talking about sheep's blood being splashed on Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, and Marines a like, being spit on and mocked for fighting and dying for their country. It was a disaster and you know what history is about to repeat itself if we as a Nation aren't careful to watch the treatment of veterans. Oh by the way I knew an old Navy Masterchief who is a Vietnam Era veteran and he recalled returning home and having sheep's blood splash and that for me really brought the whole experience home about what happened to these Vietnam Era veterans.
I've talked to many Vietnam veterans and I must say they have much respect for what they went through when they came home from Vietnam. It was just absolutely terrible the way they were treated by their fellow countrymen. They probably have more of my respect then any other generation out there of veterans. I'm proud to have met the veterans from that era and all other veterans who have gone before me in service of this great nation.
So why the clashes between veterans and society ? Why do people continually feel the need to trash veterans for severing their country ? The clash seems to be stirred up once again and this time the veterans are completely different, but so far most of the conflict I believe have been with the veterans who specifically have P.T.S.D. (post traumatic stress disorder). I say this because everyone seems to think just because a veteran has P.T.S.D. that makes them crazy, untrustworthy, and blood thirsty killers or some dumb thing like that. I think people need to realize that if this continues we as a nation could be looking at a repeat of what happened during the Vietnam Era and to be just honest with ya'll I would not be surprised if that happened. Let's look at how long we've been in Iraq and Afghanistan, Iraq easily 9 years maybe closing in on 10 and Afghanistan 10 years closing in on 11. That is to long for the current forces in our nation's military to keep fighting and not have our servicemen and women having a lot of issues rising up from three or more deployments.
So here's the challenge. How do we as a nation help bridge the ever widening gap between society and our military members ? I think first and foremost we must educate ourselves better along with the news media that is doing the reporting of what's happening with our nation's veterans. A lot of people will never understand what we as Soldiers, Sailors, Marines, and Airmen have faced while in Iraq or Afghanistan, but they should be able to educate themselves as to help them better grasp the reality of what is happening to them. Another sad truth is in the not to distant future most Americans probably won't want to join the military unless they know someone who was at some point in their life.
With all that's been said I must say I'm not to excited about the future and treatment by society and veterans a like simply because of the gap that is growing year by year. People don't feel the need to respect these brave men and women who put their lives on the line. Who've lost friends and have experienced more then most people in the United States will ever. Heck, we aren't a third world country, but that doesn't mean things don't need to change around. I hope you enjoyed reading because I truly enjoyed writing it. I pray that something is done to stop the ever widening gap between our veterans and society.
© Nathan Fahlin
So where to begin................oh I know lets take a trip through the past and lets look at what happened during the 60s and 70s with the treatment of veterans returning home from war. I specifically want to look back at the Vietnam era. Arguably this was the worst treatment of American service men and women then of any generation that had gone off to war( I'm not going into politics so don't bring it up if you comment, thank). What these veterans endured no one should of, but it happened I mean we're talking about sheep's blood being splashed on Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, and Marines a like, being spit on and mocked for fighting and dying for their country. It was a disaster and you know what history is about to repeat itself if we as a Nation aren't careful to watch the treatment of veterans. Oh by the way I knew an old Navy Masterchief who is a Vietnam Era veteran and he recalled returning home and having sheep's blood splash and that for me really brought the whole experience home about what happened to these Vietnam Era veterans.
I've talked to many Vietnam veterans and I must say they have much respect for what they went through when they came home from Vietnam. It was just absolutely terrible the way they were treated by their fellow countrymen. They probably have more of my respect then any other generation out there of veterans. I'm proud to have met the veterans from that era and all other veterans who have gone before me in service of this great nation.
So why the clashes between veterans and society ? Why do people continually feel the need to trash veterans for severing their country ? The clash seems to be stirred up once again and this time the veterans are completely different, but so far most of the conflict I believe have been with the veterans who specifically have P.T.S.D. (post traumatic stress disorder). I say this because everyone seems to think just because a veteran has P.T.S.D. that makes them crazy, untrustworthy, and blood thirsty killers or some dumb thing like that. I think people need to realize that if this continues we as a nation could be looking at a repeat of what happened during the Vietnam Era and to be just honest with ya'll I would not be surprised if that happened. Let's look at how long we've been in Iraq and Afghanistan, Iraq easily 9 years maybe closing in on 10 and Afghanistan 10 years closing in on 11. That is to long for the current forces in our nation's military to keep fighting and not have our servicemen and women having a lot of issues rising up from three or more deployments.
So here's the challenge. How do we as a nation help bridge the ever widening gap between society and our military members ? I think first and foremost we must educate ourselves better along with the news media that is doing the reporting of what's happening with our nation's veterans. A lot of people will never understand what we as Soldiers, Sailors, Marines, and Airmen have faced while in Iraq or Afghanistan, but they should be able to educate themselves as to help them better grasp the reality of what is happening to them. Another sad truth is in the not to distant future most Americans probably won't want to join the military unless they know someone who was at some point in their life.
With all that's been said I must say I'm not to excited about the future and treatment by society and veterans a like simply because of the gap that is growing year by year. People don't feel the need to respect these brave men and women who put their lives on the line. Who've lost friends and have experienced more then most people in the United States will ever. Heck, we aren't a third world country, but that doesn't mean things don't need to change around. I hope you enjoyed reading because I truly enjoyed writing it. I pray that something is done to stop the ever widening gap between our veterans and society.
© Nathan Fahlin
Sunday, August 7, 2011
Why we do it
This posted is going to be dedicated to those brave men and women in our armed forces. Who do more then their share for this great country. To the men I served with Iraq and those who I encountered during my time there as well. These people that I'm writing about have earned the utmost respect, but there is a growing concern in my heart.
Just this weekend we lost some of the best trained members of the military community when a Chinook helicopter was shot in Afghanistan. Twenty two of those who died with members of the famous Seal Team Six who just recently conducted a raid in Pakistan which ended with the death of Osama Bin Laden. These men are some of the best trained in the world and most have dedicated their lives to serving their country until they are killed in action (K.I.A.) or until they retire. I sit at this table talking about these more then courageous men because they give it their all, all the time. They understand the risks that they are taking.
Being a veteran myself a lot of people tend to ask me, "Why ?, Why did I serve ?, Why did I choose the Army, Why did I choose the Infantry ?" So now I get to share with you who all decided to follow this my reasons. I was 16 years old and in my sophomore year of high school, arguably my best year of school to. My oldest brother had just enlisted into the Army as a tank driver meaning he would drive the Abrams Main Battle tank. That tank is the meanest tank on the battlefield, with it's jet turbine engine it can reach top speeds of 45 mph and it's 120mm main can take out enemy tanks at two miles(heck of a long distance!!!). With all that said the military has been in my family from my Dad's Dad and great uncles and now it carries on with my brother along with me.
So to the questions. I knew I needed serve so I could understand how this country was made and what these men and women had gone through before me. To understand the dedication, the sacrifice, the hardships and many more. These are things that have helped molded me into the man I am today. A lot of time people ask me if I would change anything about my time in the Army or in Iraq and every time I tell them no, I wouldn't change a thing. There were good times and there were some really crappy times. Times where I wondered if I was going to make it home and there is more to that story still. I knew I was going into the Infantry of the moment I decided I was going to serve my country. People ask why would you join the Infantry ? What most fail to realize it's not about war or killing or any of that stuff. For me it was all about being part of something greater then myself. The Infantry is like a fraternity as it picks the man. Here's a quote I would like to share with all of you :
"People pick the army - they become mechanics, water-supply specialists, cooks, clerks - but the infantry is different. The infantry picks the man: men who do poorly in math, excel at athletics, love their mothers, fear their fathers; men who have something to prove or feel they have already proven it all. Infantrymen are like guard dogs at a rich man's house. When people come to visit, they lock us up in the garage and tell us not to bark, but when night falls and there is a noise outside, everyone is glad we're there. And that's what we were out there doing, guarding against bumps in the night." - John Crawford, author of "The Last True Story I'll Ever Tell"
This quote sums up everything about being in the Infantry if you ask me. It describes men who are just a little more rough around the edges. These are the type of men I had the chance to serve with and boy let me tell you they are some of the finest soldiers I've ever had the pleasure of serving with and fighting besides. They all know who they are, they are some of the most proudest, yet stubborn individuals I have ever met. They are like brothers to me, brothers that share a common bond. Did we all see eye to eye, no, but if we needed each other like the way we did when we lost one of our soldiers they were their for us. Dang do I love these men and I thank God that I got the chance to serve with them. I'm proud to call them brothers in arms, because we all answered the call to become what our Nation needed us to be. I could leave you all with some fancy quotes from history, but this quote is more fitting then any other that I've seen in a long time. This is why we do because it's not about us, it's about something bigger then, something that needs to be recognized by our Nation.
Warning Quote is Unedited
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
This quote is from the movie BlackHawk Down. The conversation takes place between SGT Matt Eversman and Hoot. "When I go home people'll ask me, "Hey Hoot, why do you do it man? What, you some kinda war junkie?" You know what I'll say? I won't say a goddamn word. Why? They won't understand. They won't understand why we do it. They won't understand that it's about the men next to you, and that's it. That's all it is."
© Nathan Fahlin
Just this weekend we lost some of the best trained members of the military community when a Chinook helicopter was shot in Afghanistan. Twenty two of those who died with members of the famous Seal Team Six who just recently conducted a raid in Pakistan which ended with the death of Osama Bin Laden. These men are some of the best trained in the world and most have dedicated their lives to serving their country until they are killed in action (K.I.A.) or until they retire. I sit at this table talking about these more then courageous men because they give it their all, all the time. They understand the risks that they are taking.
Being a veteran myself a lot of people tend to ask me, "Why ?, Why did I serve ?, Why did I choose the Army, Why did I choose the Infantry ?" So now I get to share with you who all decided to follow this my reasons. I was 16 years old and in my sophomore year of high school, arguably my best year of school to. My oldest brother had just enlisted into the Army as a tank driver meaning he would drive the Abrams Main Battle tank. That tank is the meanest tank on the battlefield, with it's jet turbine engine it can reach top speeds of 45 mph and it's 120mm main can take out enemy tanks at two miles(heck of a long distance!!!). With all that said the military has been in my family from my Dad's Dad and great uncles and now it carries on with my brother along with me.
So to the questions. I knew I needed serve so I could understand how this country was made and what these men and women had gone through before me. To understand the dedication, the sacrifice, the hardships and many more. These are things that have helped molded me into the man I am today. A lot of time people ask me if I would change anything about my time in the Army or in Iraq and every time I tell them no, I wouldn't change a thing. There were good times and there were some really crappy times. Times where I wondered if I was going to make it home and there is more to that story still. I knew I was going into the Infantry of the moment I decided I was going to serve my country. People ask why would you join the Infantry ? What most fail to realize it's not about war or killing or any of that stuff. For me it was all about being part of something greater then myself. The Infantry is like a fraternity as it picks the man. Here's a quote I would like to share with all of you :
"People pick the army - they become mechanics, water-supply specialists, cooks, clerks - but the infantry is different. The infantry picks the man: men who do poorly in math, excel at athletics, love their mothers, fear their fathers; men who have something to prove or feel they have already proven it all. Infantrymen are like guard dogs at a rich man's house. When people come to visit, they lock us up in the garage and tell us not to bark, but when night falls and there is a noise outside, everyone is glad we're there. And that's what we were out there doing, guarding against bumps in the night." - John Crawford, author of "The Last True Story I'll Ever Tell"
This quote sums up everything about being in the Infantry if you ask me. It describes men who are just a little more rough around the edges. These are the type of men I had the chance to serve with and boy let me tell you they are some of the finest soldiers I've ever had the pleasure of serving with and fighting besides. They all know who they are, they are some of the most proudest, yet stubborn individuals I have ever met. They are like brothers to me, brothers that share a common bond. Did we all see eye to eye, no, but if we needed each other like the way we did when we lost one of our soldiers they were their for us. Dang do I love these men and I thank God that I got the chance to serve with them. I'm proud to call them brothers in arms, because we all answered the call to become what our Nation needed us to be. I could leave you all with some fancy quotes from history, but this quote is more fitting then any other that I've seen in a long time. This is why we do because it's not about us, it's about something bigger then, something that needs to be recognized by our Nation.
Warning Quote is Unedited
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This quote is from the movie BlackHawk Down. The conversation takes place between SGT Matt Eversman and Hoot. "When I go home people'll ask me, "Hey Hoot, why do you do it man? What, you some kinda war junkie?" You know what I'll say? I won't say a goddamn word. Why? They won't understand. They won't understand why we do it. They won't understand that it's about the men next to you, and that's it. That's all it is."
© Nathan Fahlin
Friday, August 5, 2011
Laughter
I believe laughter is truly one of the best medicines that God created. It's one of the few things that can bring people together so that they can share the joy of the moment or of whatever is happening around them.
This is something that I seem to do very which is laugh and I seem to laugh a lot too. Today I want to take the time to share a story about laughter with all of you who are reading this. If any of you have heard me laugh well then you know the effect that it carries with it. My laugh has been described in many ways such as: Saturday morning cartoon villain laugh, evil Santa Clause laugh, hearty, the count from Sesame Street, and the list goes on and on trust me.
The story takes place in Iraq and the date is later March of 2007. If my memory serves me correct that night we had been waken up from a sound sleep because someone had decided to shoot some tracers at our little patrol base. When your patrol base had just taken seven rounds of IDF (that's indirect fire for you civies) earlier in the year anything like that is enough to get everyone to their positions. This is all taking place during the big push in Baghdad which caused the insurgents to scatter throughout the country. Okay back to the story...................stupid rabbit trail lol I'm gonna find that rabbit and make him dead lol. So with all that said a bunch of us are sitting around in our little entertainment trailer drinking Gatorade, water, and Rip Its while watching some comedy movie. I can't remember the movie, but what I do remember is the fact we were just relaxing and having a good time. What I remember that happened next was in just what seemed to be like a matter of seconds and the next thing I know I'm pretty much doubled over in my chair just laughing like the flood gates had just broken loose. I remember the look of my fellow soldiers faces as they watched me just be consumed by the laughter.
Fast forward to the present day and now it seems that people know me for my laugh. I was in a movie theater recently watching Thor with my brother (good movie, but to short imo) and I'm just laughing because it's one of those movies where you can hardly keep quiet. So at the end of the movie my brother says to me, " Is that so and so from church?" Sure enough there sitting down the row from us in the same isle is a couple from our church. So I turned my head to look and I confirmed it lol They got up and walked towards us, they knew from the moment I laughed in the theater that I was in there. I guess being recognized by your laugh isn't a bad thing, but it sure is hard to go places without people knowing you're there simply because of your laugh.
With all that being said I really do believe that laughter is one of the best medicines out there for us when the times are getting hard or we're just in a downward slope. So I encourage you to get out and enjoy life, find some joy if you're having a hard time or the trails you are facing seem to hard to continue with.
" Joy is the most infallible sign of the presence of God."
© Nathan Fahlin
This is something that I seem to do very which is laugh and I seem to laugh a lot too. Today I want to take the time to share a story about laughter with all of you who are reading this. If any of you have heard me laugh well then you know the effect that it carries with it. My laugh has been described in many ways such as: Saturday morning cartoon villain laugh, evil Santa Clause laugh, hearty, the count from Sesame Street, and the list goes on and on trust me.
The story takes place in Iraq and the date is later March of 2007. If my memory serves me correct that night we had been waken up from a sound sleep because someone had decided to shoot some tracers at our little patrol base. When your patrol base had just taken seven rounds of IDF (that's indirect fire for you civies) earlier in the year anything like that is enough to get everyone to their positions. This is all taking place during the big push in Baghdad which caused the insurgents to scatter throughout the country. Okay back to the story...................stupid rabbit trail lol I'm gonna find that rabbit and make him dead lol. So with all that said a bunch of us are sitting around in our little entertainment trailer drinking Gatorade, water, and Rip Its while watching some comedy movie. I can't remember the movie, but what I do remember is the fact we were just relaxing and having a good time. What I remember that happened next was in just what seemed to be like a matter of seconds and the next thing I know I'm pretty much doubled over in my chair just laughing like the flood gates had just broken loose. I remember the look of my fellow soldiers faces as they watched me just be consumed by the laughter.
Fast forward to the present day and now it seems that people know me for my laugh. I was in a movie theater recently watching Thor with my brother (good movie, but to short imo) and I'm just laughing because it's one of those movies where you can hardly keep quiet. So at the end of the movie my brother says to me, " Is that so and so from church?" Sure enough there sitting down the row from us in the same isle is a couple from our church. So I turned my head to look and I confirmed it lol They got up and walked towards us, they knew from the moment I laughed in the theater that I was in there. I guess being recognized by your laugh isn't a bad thing, but it sure is hard to go places without people knowing you're there simply because of your laugh.
With all that being said I really do believe that laughter is one of the best medicines out there for us when the times are getting hard or we're just in a downward slope. So I encourage you to get out and enjoy life, find some joy if you're having a hard time or the trails you are facing seem to hard to continue with.
" Joy is the most infallible sign of the presence of God."
© Nathan Fahlin
Wednesday, August 3, 2011
The Battle Continues
Forget the title on this until I can figure out what I want to call it.
So this is my trial I guess. Right now I'm not sure what to do about school and finding a job isn't going to be easy like some people think it is. But this all started way back in February or March of this year. Everything started out like a normal day except when I decided to take a nap after lunch. Bad idea and here's why, I'm completely asleep then from the top of the stairs my brothers mother in law yells for (here's where it goes down hill). I hear the yelling and wake up with adrenaline just rushing through my vanes and I'm pretty much ready to fight except one problem is I'm not in Iraq, I'm at home.
Now the question is what to do about this. I'm just starting a string of appointments with the VA which is going to interesting to say the least. Last week I had my second appointment at the T.B.I. (Traumatic Brain Injury) Clinic down in the Twin Cities. I probably spent an hour there and got everything out that's been nagging at me through school and the time I've been home. It's interesting because I tired to talk to the VA last year about this stuff and they said, " You're fine." Now I'm back dealing with the same crap and the question is will they listen this time or will things have to get worse before they give me the help I need. Right now everything I'm dealing with all points to one four letter acronym which is P.S.T.D. (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder). A lot of what is happening right now is documentation then it would move on diagnose then treatment.
P.T.S.D............wow that's a mouthful to say and to get out when you're talking to people about what's been going on in your life recently. Just this past Tuesday at my life group the men their asked because I had told them about it and boy was it hard to get those words out of my mouth. If this is what I get diagnosed with P.T.S.D. I just don't want to get labeled by people and that will surely piss me off. People have been praying for me about this because it's hard to deal with something like. It's like you know what's happening, but you can't do anything. If this is P.T.S.D. that I'm struggling with then it then it's gonna be interesting to see how they treat it. I don't really want to acknowledge this and don't hardly want to deal with it to be honest, but if I don't deal with it now then who knows what would happen.
One of the bigger problems I have is if this is P.T.S.D. is who would want to put up with me, who want to marry a guy like me. It's baggage and I know that their are a lot of people in this world with baggage these days who are Christians who've married others that have their issues which helps to comfort me. This could really alter my career choices to and that is another reason why I'm pressing forward with this. So I'm gonna leave you all with these two verses which are as follows:
Philippians 4:8
5 We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.
So this is my trial I guess. Right now I'm not sure what to do about school and finding a job isn't going to be easy like some people think it is. But this all started way back in February or March of this year. Everything started out like a normal day except when I decided to take a nap after lunch. Bad idea and here's why, I'm completely asleep then from the top of the stairs my brothers mother in law yells for (here's where it goes down hill). I hear the yelling and wake up with adrenaline just rushing through my vanes and I'm pretty much ready to fight except one problem is I'm not in Iraq, I'm at home.
Now the question is what to do about this. I'm just starting a string of appointments with the VA which is going to interesting to say the least. Last week I had my second appointment at the T.B.I. (Traumatic Brain Injury) Clinic down in the Twin Cities. I probably spent an hour there and got everything out that's been nagging at me through school and the time I've been home. It's interesting because I tired to talk to the VA last year about this stuff and they said, " You're fine." Now I'm back dealing with the same crap and the question is will they listen this time or will things have to get worse before they give me the help I need. Right now everything I'm dealing with all points to one four letter acronym which is P.S.T.D. (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder). A lot of what is happening right now is documentation then it would move on diagnose then treatment.
P.T.S.D............wow that's a mouthful to say and to get out when you're talking to people about what's been going on in your life recently. Just this past Tuesday at my life group the men their asked because I had told them about it and boy was it hard to get those words out of my mouth. If this is what I get diagnosed with P.T.S.D. I just don't want to get labeled by people and that will surely piss me off. People have been praying for me about this because it's hard to deal with something like. It's like you know what's happening, but you can't do anything. If this is P.T.S.D. that I'm struggling with then it then it's gonna be interesting to see how they treat it. I don't really want to acknowledge this and don't hardly want to deal with it to be honest, but if I don't deal with it now then who knows what would happen.
One of the bigger problems I have is if this is P.T.S.D. is who would want to put up with me, who want to marry a guy like me. It's baggage and I know that their are a lot of people in this world with baggage these days who are Christians who've married others that have their issues which helps to comfort me. This could really alter my career choices to and that is another reason why I'm pressing forward with this. So I'm gonna leave you all with these two verses which are as follows:
Philippians 4:8
(NIV)
8 Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.
2 Corinthians 10:5
5 We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.
© Nathan Fahlin
Tuesday, August 2, 2011
Introduction
Well I guess it's time to get the ball rolling. Okay where to start......hmmmm. Oh yes, some of you might be wondering why I chose the title I did for this. I decided to call it this because I wanted something that described me and who I am. I decided to start this blog because it's a way for me to get what's in my head out and in some sense vent a little of the frustrations that I have.
Life for me is very different and the way I 'see' things is completely different then the average person would. The whole purpose if there is a purpose to thing other then to put my rambling thoughts on the internet for others to read is to let people see my thoughts on what's going on if nothing else maybe it will entertain others.......who knows.
I came up with this idea the other day when I was outside working on getting wood ready for the winter since that is how we heat our house. Postings will happen whenever there is potentially interesting thoughts on certain topics and yes that could be everyday, but I won't be posting that often.
I do hope that people will find some of the posts interesting if not the least bit entertaining to a some degree and if not then well I guess that's to bad for you because I'm not changing anytime soon, unless God says so.
© Nathan Fahlin
Life for me is very different and the way I 'see' things is completely different then the average person would. The whole purpose if there is a purpose to thing other then to put my rambling thoughts on the internet for others to read is to let people see my thoughts on what's going on if nothing else maybe it will entertain others.......who knows.
I came up with this idea the other day when I was outside working on getting wood ready for the winter since that is how we heat our house. Postings will happen whenever there is potentially interesting thoughts on certain topics and yes that could be everyday, but I won't be posting that often.
I do hope that people will find some of the posts interesting if not the least bit entertaining to a some degree and if not then well I guess that's to bad for you because I'm not changing anytime soon, unless God says so.
© Nathan Fahlin
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