Life as a Veteran

I meant to write this last week, during Veterans Appreciation week and instead I got busy with editing videos and creating content. I don't want to move forward without putting my thoughts on digital paper once again. I will tell you how tough it is to be a Veteran, the up and downs, and I will touch on how uplifting it is to have good friends who care around you.

Let me begin by saying that I am in a very good place now. Life has a funny way of helping you get out of certain funks and holes that you can dig yourself into. A lot of the time, the holes that you put yourself in can easily be avoided with you just some extra patience. I for one have little to no patience with certain things. It's funny because while serving in the Marine Corps there was a ton of hurry up and wait moments, but I digress.

So, when I first got out of the military there was a lot of up and downs. Jobs were really hard to come by, and simply because the transition at the time was not as easy as it is today. The programs that are available now are beyond amazing with transitions helping vets go to school, transition their military occupation to a civilian job, and companies now have specific military member sections where transitioning military personnel can apply for jobs that are being offered for service members.

There is also the flip-side of things, those who get out with disabilities and end up getting addicted to pain meds have had such a hard time to transition into an ordinary civilian life. Take a look at the amount of Veterans that are using hardcore drugs after they cant score pain meds anymore. The homeless numbers for Veterans are insanely high. Most if not all of those homeless Veterans have some type of addiction that has led them to where they are at now. It is sad to say that help is not just a simple arms length away for these women and men, because of a budget cuts that have affected some VA hospitals.

Needless to say, there is people out there willing to give a helping hand. Luckily for me, the injury I sustained on my lower back has not been bad enough for me to have to get on pain meds. I have used stretching and other holistic methods to relieve the pain my body is in after serving for our Nation. Even on my worst days I can find some type of calm in the storm.

With employment, I can say that I am very happy to be with a company that is moving forward in the media industry and we’re setting our best foot forward to grow and create some amazing valuable content. I was struggling for a while with myself, questioning if I was going to be good enough to make films, and second guessing all my decisions. Stillwell Partners who run and operate Advertising Week have helped me with my self doubt. We all had moments of self doubt and questioning our decisions, you are not wrong for feeling like that or asking those questions.

I think that for Veterans, we struggle a little more with it because the everyday structure of the military is now gone. I hope this shed a little light into the mind of someone who has had struggles, still continues to grow and become better, and is looking to a super bright future both in film and production with my current employer.

If you see a Veteran in need in the street, maybe extend a helping hand. It could be a monetary donation or a hot meal. Remember that everyone is fighting some type of battle in their life, and those women and men that put their life on the line for others without asking for anything in return, may actually need that return for their survival.

If you are a Vet that is reading this and need an ear to listen to you, I'm always here and my social networks are here for you at all times.