Rude awakening, I've become my Mother!

All the time growing up, I promised myself several things concerning my Mom. I promised myself I would never answer a question with "because I said so" instead of a real answer. Blew that one a long time ago when I gave birth to a child a lot smarter than I ever was. The other thing was that I would never tell a child of mine how hard life was for me the same way my Mother said it was on her and her family. I couldn't beat her on that anyway considering she was the first one in her family born in America after leaving Greece in a time when people were still saying Greeks were like gypsies and stole kids as well as being born in 1921. So far, I haven't done that too often with my daughter but I just did that to a person who emailed me. I've already apologized, but it brings up an interesting point. Aside from the humiliating fact I did too much research today and misread one word, making me misunderstand the point of the email.

Naturally when I read, or thought I read it in a moment of temporary senility, that someone was telling me they had a perspective of what it was like to live with a vet who had PTSD, I snapped back with a classic equal to, you don't know how easy you have it type of rant. As I was closing the email the word, "I" was clear as day instead of "if" and once I managed to close my mouth after removing my foot, I emailed her right back.

Anyway, now to the point. When Vietnam veterans came back, we didn't have support and neither did they. It was rough. Most of us wished there were support groups, communication and so way to bridge the distance across the nation for men and women who served together. It had been so long since most of them even wanted to contact each other, most had either moved away or passed away. I managed to track down one veteran my husband was stationed with. Very sad when you think they all counted on each other for their lives. Up until the 90's, there was very little on line for Vietnam Veterans. Sites like mine were sprouting up and it was great, but it took almost 20 years to get there. Today there are so many organizations out there it's a lot easier to find someone to connect to, share with and find support with.

I'm so glad that this generation has this tool to connect and find support. I really wish it was there when Vietnam veterans came home. But even us old people (feeling real old tonight) have managed to take advantage of the endless possibilities this technological genie has opened the doors to. I'm able to reach out and share knowledge as well as gain knowledge with the rest of the world.

My videos are being used all over the country but they are also in a lot of other nations. Emails come in from places I never expected like a teaching college in the Netherlands and a college in Lebanon. Still I tend to think back on being raised by my Mom, a first generation American and my Dad, a first generation American as well. His family came from Canada. He was a Korean veteran and they did in fact have it very hard. Except when he was stationed in Japan and my older brother was spoiled by the Japanese lady who came to help take care of him. I just never thought I would carry on the tradition of "if you think this is hard" but I did. The good news is that this generation can also use the same line on the next. Considering each generation creates the latest gadget to make life easier. My parents grew up without TV sets. We grew up without PC connections but had a TV. Now our kids have the PC, laptops, cell phones and there is a TV in every room.

The bad news is that people are still only human, with bodies that get wounded and minds that get wounded. Man still decides to go to war and another man will decide to fight back. Too bad technology hasn't figured out how to have wars when no one gets killed. Then when the generation of the wounded die off, there will be no more to replace them. Until then each generation has the other to reach out to and learn from. Yes, even if it means they have to hear how hard that generation had it before them. I bet my Mom is up in heaven laughing her head off saying "I told you so. You are just like me."