I want to live my life in peace, committing random acts of kindness. Changing people’s fears and hate, not by force of will but through sharing ideas. I am a warrior. It does not mean that I am quick to violence, but that I understand the true cost of violence. A warriors’ strength does not come from a weapon, but comes from ones willingness to act on compassion. I take these hard earned lessons to college to better myself and glean an understanding of the complex questions born of war. Personal questions that haunt and consume many combat veterans. I think I can find some answers to my questions through knowledge and understanding, taking what I learn to discover opportunities to help people exercise there basic human rights.
The violence of my experiences will not define me. The faces of the people who were cruelly removed from life are never far from my thoughts. They should not be remembered by their brutalized bodies and lifeless eyes. I want to begin to remember them how they lived, working hard to make a sometimes vicious and unpredictable world just a little better one action at a time. The memories of people who still have a story to tell about their sacrifice will strengthen my resolve to live with amity in my heart, forging an idea to pass on to future generations.
The violence of my experiences will not define me. The faces of the people who were cruelly removed from life are never far from my thoughts. They should not be remembered by their brutalized bodies and lifeless eyes. I want to begin to remember them how they lived, working hard to make a sometimes vicious and unpredictable world just a little better one action at a time. The memories of people who still have a story to tell about their sacrifice will strengthen my resolve to live with amity in my heart, forging an idea to pass on to future generations.