This hit me in a series of memories this afternoon as I drove to the Twin Cities and it was just so clear to me. Truly the life I've been given is a blessing from above and let me tell you the more I live the more I love my life!! I'm not sure exactly where to start because this isn't the beginning that most are probably thinking about. This didn't start at conception or when I was born. This was a special night, but nothing truly significant to others.
You see it started back at a house a few of my Army buddies were renting and we were having a good time. Swapping stories, singing crazy songs that would make people cringe!! We were fresh off a tour from Iraq and well we partied like we hadn't partied before. The night started off good and then we headed out for dinner and found ourselves in Dinky town and so we ended up in sport bar, drinking beer and shooting pool all while feeding our faces with food! Cause we can eat like nobodies business this I promise you lol!!
You see this is where the story takes a turn. Honestly I haven't touched this memory in over five years and completely had almost pushed it out of my mind. You see while my buddies were shooting pool I was working on a beer and burger only partially watching the t.v. This is where is the night changes and the story is completely changed. Enters in is a woman middle aged and within minutes of seeing me and demeanor spoke out to me right away. I wanted nothing to do with her so I told her to shut up and continued watching the t.v., but she was reluctant with her prodding. She claimed she had seen the same demeanor with Navy SEALS that she worked with(I have no way of proving anything regarding to what she did for work or who she worked with). My buddies saw what was happening and so we pulled out of the joint and moved to another place where we were followed to. Yet again we moved out and made sure we weren't followed and then finally we lost her and her group.
So this is how everything got started for me and how the change began to happen. I don't know how many people I've told this story to, but I can probably count on one hand up till now honestly. Now this story is out there for everyone to read and that's okay because what is happening now is better then what I could of ever hoped for!! There's a purpose, a mission, friendship, community, and so much more! Take care and God bless!!
© Nathan Fahlin
Tuesday, February 12, 2013
"Who Veterans Are"
Veterans come in all shapes and size; big and tall, short and small
Guys and gals; both young and old
You cannot simply classify them because if you do they will break the mold
They come from all sorts of backgrounds, but have one common thing. They served!
They chose selfless versus selfish. Now they fight to put their lives back together from war, from wounds, from the world. They are people who've lost their closest friends, but wouldn't change a thing. They eyes tell a story that is beyond words and takes a almost a life to understand.
The wounds may be visible or maybe completely hidden. These are the people who've laid it on all the line for their country. They've paid a price more than most can fathom and few who can truly understand what it means to give up their life for their friends.
You see while today standing in the local VA hospital I was struck with this and it appears to be the truth of just who veterans are. Standing their in the hall and being bumped into by this short, old lady who's time in the Air Force she referred to herself as a female Gomer Pile. You see it was clear to me right then and there that I wasn't truly tuned in to what a veteran was till I met here this day. She was short, but sweet and we talked for a few minutes then laughed about it all. This is who veterans are. We are people who've laid on down for our country, our family, and our friends. For some of us we've bleed, we've loved, we've lost, and then do it all again.
I hope this sheds so light on the topic of who are veterans. Hope you enjoyed reading this rather short yet sweet blog!! God bless!!
© Nathan Fahlin
© Nathan Fahlin
Sunday, February 10, 2013
"Identity and Us"
A while back I wrote a blog about identity theft and this actually the exact opposite and these are questions that I had to ask myself this morning honestly. The truth of the matter there are many different groups I try and fit myself in wherever I am. A good example is my church. College student check, single check, veteran check, late 20s to early 30s check. These are all groups if I wanted to I could identify with if I chose to, but the reality is I do not belong to any of these groups.
Where do I fit in ? What group do I belong to ? Who am I ? At some point in our lives we all struggle with these questions and probably continue to struggle throughout our life with them. It's not easy nor fun because at some point we realize that regardless of who we think we are it may not be true. You see as human beings we have a built desire to belong to a group, to find out who we are as a person, and how we fit in to this world. I'm going to share with all of you what this has been like for me and what I've come to realize.
Where do I fit in ? I asked myself this question many times after coming back from Iraq and it was till recently that I found my answers to this question. You see there isn't just one place that I fit in, but in actuality there is multiple places. It's been challenging because as a veteran you connect very quickly with other veterans and there is bond formed through service of ones country. But when I started going to school again that presented a new set of challenges and I struggled to find my place there, but in reality there was multiple places for me during my time there. As I got more involved and found other places there was the challenge of fitting in. When I started going back to church is another example of me struggling to find my place again. Yet after being there for 3 years I continue to find myself realizing there is not just one place for me, there is multiple places that I fit in.
What group do I belong to ? This question goes deeper then the first one and the truth of the matter it's very multifaceted honestly. Being a college student yet very non traditional, a veteran wounded at that, and if that ain't enough I'm a Christian who does his to best to be real with others. You see there is more to all of us then we realize or think. You see whether we think about it or not the truth of the matter there is much more to all of us than we realize. For me this is challenging because as I grow there is this realization that I do not just belong to one specific group. There are days when I act more like a soldier who's still in the Army and that's just straight out ugly sometimes, the other times are more of me being me. This I will say and you can think whatever you want, but for me there is two specific groups of people which my heart attaches to. One is veterans simply because I am a veteran myself. Interacting with these men and women is something I do well and generally comes easy to me honestly. We swap stories, some are and will stay private simply because you weren't there and you don't know what we went through lol! Christians and me....... this is a group of people who I've surrounded myself with and they do their best to genuinely follow Jesus. They are just as human as am I and we get to share stories of where we've been and what we've been through in our time on this earth. These people have helped shaped me just as much as my experiences have throughout my time in the Army and just the life that I've lived thus far.
Who am I ? To answer this question one must look deep into their soul and heart. To look past the surface and really look deep at their actions. For me I not only to look at myself, but to God as well because you see the truth of me is that my God tells me who I am. Not the world, not society, not anyone, but him. You see there is so much that we all struggle with in this life and we need to realize that if we let others define us or our past experiences we become something that we don't want to me. I most certainly do not want people to see me as a "wounded veteran with PTSD." You see if I were to let that become my identity it would change my attitude, personality, outlook, and my image of how I see myself. You see since my identity is rooted in Jesus Christ that I am a new creation. The old has gone and the new has come. 2 Corinthians 5:17. What this means is once we accept Jesus Christ who came and died for you and me we become a new creation. Our past falls away and we have a new identity. Does this mean in that moment when we accept Christ that everything changes for us ? No, it means that we will continue to go back to our old habits at times, but we press on toward the goal which is transforming into the image of Jesus Christ and loving like he did. Essentially we become Jesus with skin, this is not always easy as we have our bad days just like everyone else. There is not one person on my facebook page that there isn't some story behind our friendship and how we met. Some have found me because of my laugh, mutual friends, through experiences, through good times and bad. They are friends for a reason.
Well now that this is all done I pray that you see me for me and do not compare me to others because I'm just as unique as you and everyone else!! I hope you all have a good night or day whenever you read this!! That you may be blessed by this as well!! Take care and God Bless!!
© Nathan Fahlin
Where do I fit in ? What group do I belong to ? Who am I ? At some point in our lives we all struggle with these questions and probably continue to struggle throughout our life with them. It's not easy nor fun because at some point we realize that regardless of who we think we are it may not be true. You see as human beings we have a built desire to belong to a group, to find out who we are as a person, and how we fit in to this world. I'm going to share with all of you what this has been like for me and what I've come to realize.
Where do I fit in ? I asked myself this question many times after coming back from Iraq and it was till recently that I found my answers to this question. You see there isn't just one place that I fit in, but in actuality there is multiple places. It's been challenging because as a veteran you connect very quickly with other veterans and there is bond formed through service of ones country. But when I started going to school again that presented a new set of challenges and I struggled to find my place there, but in reality there was multiple places for me during my time there. As I got more involved and found other places there was the challenge of fitting in. When I started going back to church is another example of me struggling to find my place again. Yet after being there for 3 years I continue to find myself realizing there is not just one place for me, there is multiple places that I fit in.
What group do I belong to ? This question goes deeper then the first one and the truth of the matter it's very multifaceted honestly. Being a college student yet very non traditional, a veteran wounded at that, and if that ain't enough I'm a Christian who does his to best to be real with others. You see there is more to all of us then we realize or think. You see whether we think about it or not the truth of the matter there is much more to all of us than we realize. For me this is challenging because as I grow there is this realization that I do not just belong to one specific group. There are days when I act more like a soldier who's still in the Army and that's just straight out ugly sometimes, the other times are more of me being me. This I will say and you can think whatever you want, but for me there is two specific groups of people which my heart attaches to. One is veterans simply because I am a veteran myself. Interacting with these men and women is something I do well and generally comes easy to me honestly. We swap stories, some are and will stay private simply because you weren't there and you don't know what we went through lol! Christians and me....... this is a group of people who I've surrounded myself with and they do their best to genuinely follow Jesus. They are just as human as am I and we get to share stories of where we've been and what we've been through in our time on this earth. These people have helped shaped me just as much as my experiences have throughout my time in the Army and just the life that I've lived thus far.
Who am I ? To answer this question one must look deep into their soul and heart. To look past the surface and really look deep at their actions. For me I not only to look at myself, but to God as well because you see the truth of me is that my God tells me who I am. Not the world, not society, not anyone, but him. You see there is so much that we all struggle with in this life and we need to realize that if we let others define us or our past experiences we become something that we don't want to me. I most certainly do not want people to see me as a "wounded veteran with PTSD." You see if I were to let that become my identity it would change my attitude, personality, outlook, and my image of how I see myself. You see since my identity is rooted in Jesus Christ that I am a new creation. The old has gone and the new has come. 2 Corinthians 5:17. What this means is once we accept Jesus Christ who came and died for you and me we become a new creation. Our past falls away and we have a new identity. Does this mean in that moment when we accept Christ that everything changes for us ? No, it means that we will continue to go back to our old habits at times, but we press on toward the goal which is transforming into the image of Jesus Christ and loving like he did. Essentially we become Jesus with skin, this is not always easy as we have our bad days just like everyone else. There is not one person on my facebook page that there isn't some story behind our friendship and how we met. Some have found me because of my laugh, mutual friends, through experiences, through good times and bad. They are friends for a reason.
Well now that this is all done I pray that you see me for me and do not compare me to others because I'm just as unique as you and everyone else!! I hope you all have a good night or day whenever you read this!! That you may be blessed by this as well!! Take care and God Bless!!
© Nathan Fahlin
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