Member-only story
Medium Shortform
That One Moment…
Return from Vietnam
I returned from combat duty in Vietnam and visited my parents on their small farm in Massachusetts.
I was not injured in any visible way, but I definitely had sustained serious inner changes; I was well aware of the challenges I faced visiting others, straight out of a combat environment. I had been briefed about what I had become and how it might relate to my parents' house.
No worries, I thought. I was in control.
Mom put me up in the third-floor bedroom, alone and in control of my immediate environment. That night, I fell asleep early, knowing I was in no danger.
Later, my mother opened the door without knocking and came in without saying anything…
You can imagine what happened in that one moment.
It only ever happened once, but the fear I put in her eyes is a shame I have to this day.
