Do Good Things - SGT Williams

Army Sergeant Eric Edward Williams, 27, from Murrieta, CA, was hit with indirect fire five years ago at Forward Operating Base Shank, Afghanistan. SGT Williams was a Flight Medic for the 3rd Battalion, 82nd Combat Aviation Brigade, 82nd Airborne Division based out of Fort Bragg, NC.

I had the honor of working with SGT Williams for approximately 4 months on FOB Sharana in Regional Command - East, Afghanistan. SGT Williams was an amazing medic, leader, and friend. He has influenced countless people through the lives he has saved. SGT Williams is a true example of what it means to put others before oneself. The short time I had to know SGT Williams truly changed my life for the better.

On 17JUL2012, SGT Williams posted his final blog entry. Clicking on his picture above will take you to his site. Here is the opening and closing of his final entry:

"This deployment is coming to an end, in a few days we will be on a plane back to the United States to rejoin our family and friends and to try to readjust to a certain semblance of what we think life should be. The truth is everything has changed, we collectively have changed. We have changed as people, as an army, as citizens of the United States."

"So in closing, while reading this you might think I’ve become some angry disillusioned man, someone who sees things so much different than the average citizen, well maybe your right. But I can only hope that things someday will change. As for our accomplishments here in Afghanistan, I’d do it again in a heartbeat. I will forever hold these experiences close. "

Do Good Things

Even One Life Is Too Many

To be honest, posting on the twenty-second of each month is not for you. It is selfishly for me. Originally this was for you, to ask you to check in with each other and ensure that we all get to see each other tomorrow. But honestly, this is no longer for you.

Posting each month on a consistent schedule has further helped to create routine for me. Posting each month allows me to remember that I have people who I can turn to when things are not going well for me. Posting each month reminds me to continue to check in with others.

While I am so very rarely on most forms of social media, when checking my Facebook page two weeks ago I read a note that made so many things worth it. A simple note from a friend who shared that when helping someone going through a rough time, they had remembered the contact information at the close of these notes for the Crisis Text Line and shared this information with their friend.

In the blink of an eye, your entire world can change for good or for bad. To have someone or something to lean on when things are not going well can truly be the difference in allowing someone to see their tomorrow. I have found that safe place where I can go. I hope that in reminding myself each month that I want to see tomorrow, that I can encourage you to help others see theirs.

Even one life is too many to lose. 

While we should do this daily, I encourage you on the 22nd of every month to call and check your battle buddy. It takes just a moment. Military or not, we deserve to see each other tomorrow.

#twloha

 Crisis Text Line 741-741

- a safe place to talk via text with a counselor when you can't or are afraid to use your voice

Volunteering

One of the best things that I can do for myself especially when it feels as though I am disconnecting is to volunteer.


For the past year I have had the opportunity to volunteer as a camp nurse with the Girl Scouts of Hawaii on Oahu. It is so much fun! There is often a pretty significant age range of the campers which can create some fun challenges for me but I truly enjoy watching the older Scouts help out the Brownies and Daisies through the different activities.


This weekend is the STEM camp and I cannot wait to see all that the program team has in store for the girls!

Congratulations Frederick and Rachel

I got to capture the first self portrait of the newlyweds along with my siblings (sans Megan). It was such a fun wedding and a really fun reception.

Even better was getting to catch up with family that I do not get to see very often.

Where I Now Choose to Be

I know that it is not the twenty-second of the month, but I want to tell you a little more of my story.

Like so many others, I changed a lot after my last deployment. Things I had seen and done really affected me both for good and bad. It was the bad that I really struggled with. I did not know how to talk about it so I shut down. Therapy and medication did great things for me but there was still something always missing.

A little over a year after returning home I started volunteering at a local non-profit in WA. I had no specific job there, just to show up and complete whatever task(s) I was assigned. Since I was working shift work I was able to spend more time volunteering than most others with a full time job. And because my Dad had taught me the basics of how to look at things and figure out how to fix them I was teamed up with another volunteer who was there each morning.

Michelle quickly became "my boss" and taught me the ins and outs of the farm. Soon we were tackling much larger projects then I think the Directors had originally anticipated us to. As we kept going, our ability to get things done and well became my happy place. When things were not right in my head, it was to the farm I would choose to go.

While I would go to the farm for my happy place, I was still very much kept who I was or how I was feeling shut down from everyone. Some how, Michelle was able to see through it. She saw not only who I was but who I so desperately wanted to be again. She patiently waited for me to catch up on how important our friendship had become.

Today, having moved away from WA, I have two new safe and happy places. One in my boy rainBeau Jangles and the other in my friendship with Michelle. Through this friendship I have started talking again and sharing my story. I have been able to experience emotions again that I had compartmentalized and locked away. This friendship has taught me what it is to be happy again.

Again, I know that today is not the twenty-second, but I do not want to wait to talk about this. People need people. I am proof that while we can do things on our own for period of time, we cannot continue to do so without negative consequences and poor decisions.

I now choose to experience emotion. I now choose to talk it out when I am hurting and share my happy moments. I now choose to see tomorrow and not just for someone else. I now choose to see tomorrow because I have something to lose.

If you are struggling or you feel lost, please know that it does get better. Have I found my exact path? Nope. Have I found people who are walking alongside me as I learn who I am? Yes. And it is because of me finally accepting that I need people that I can share my story at all.

I will see you tomorrow. 

Kappa Kappa Your Mama!

Each year, my college roommates and I have tried to get together and hangout. Many of these events I have had to miss due to my chosen employer. But this year, I got to be there too!

We met up in Tahoe for a few days for some fun! We caught up on each other's lives, ate great food, played in the snow, and played in the water. Such a great trip!

Fourth of July

So great to get to spend time with family and friends!

I will never tire of this view.

My face is still hidden in plain site after all these years!