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6 years 6 months ago #301764 by
What was your favorite part about being a Marine? Why?

What was your least favorite part about being a Marine? Why?

S/F/DD

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6 years 6 months ago #301793 by

OB1Shinobi wrote: You said that were diagnosed with a type of Aspergers when you were a youngster, can you explain what exactly your diagnoses was and what that means?


Asperger’s is an array disorder that focuses around difficulties in social interaction and nonverbal communication. It can also include aspects of OCD and problems with physical coordination. At one time it was a separate diagnosis but now I believe it’s included as part of the spectrum of Autism disorders. For me it manifests as an extreme anxiety in social situations due to a lack of ability to relate to others. Others that know me describe me as “being in my own head” and those that don’t know me describe me as rude often times. Suffers are usually highly gifted in certain technical areas and I have an affinity for Physics/mathematics.

They can engage in repetitive or OCD behaviors and have rote memories because of this. They often times lack a demonstrated empathy or emotional reciprocity with others, unable to make eye contact, unable to pick up on nonverbal cues and as a result usually have trouble making friends. They can be blunt in their communication, use logic over emotion, and are natural problem solvers and visual thinkers. These are all some of the things I manifest as part of my disorder.

Of course there are many other symptoms in this array including clumsiness, speech difficulties, word repetition, intense focus on single subject that they talk about endlessly even if others around them show no interest, inability to recognize faces, sensitivity to sound or touch or textures, collecting of specific things, overly sensitive, withdrawn and no interest in friendships… the list goes on. That’s why it’s referred to as an array. Most don’t manifest all symptoms but all manifest some.

There is no cure and they are not sure of the cause, although it’s suspected to be partly inherited. There is really no treatment either, although skills can be learned to help the sufferer better cope. these are things someone with Asperger’s has to deal with all their lives. I’ve developed many coping mechanisms over my life, skills to help me deal with my issues. However these are things I always have to artificially consciously enact because they are talents I will never naturally possess. I have to force myself to walk into a room of people and I have to actively work at eye contact, constantly reminding myself to “Look”. That sort of thing. Ive never let these things keep me from doing the things I want to do, it just makes those things more terrifying often times.

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6 years 6 months ago - 6 years 6 months ago #301805 by

elizabeth wrote: If you could pass on any advice that helped you in your life, what would you say?


Try everything you can in life at least one time. Never turn down an opportunity for adventure, knowledge or experience. Never let fear keep you from anything you are curious about or desire. And don't ever let anyone to tell you that you need improvement in this or that or that any position you have, or path you are on, is wrong. Only you can determine that.

We are all meant to be different, so because of that, know that you are perfect as you are (As in the way you were meant to be) at any moment in time. But also know that this is a fluid thing that will change. Who you were a second ago is not who you are now, or will be one second from now. We are always in this state of slow continual change – change physically, emotionally, psychologically and spiritually. Sometimes for the better and sometimes not. But always strive to be about the better as you define it. Just be who you are today and don’t worry about the future because self-improvement is not a future endeavor, it is happening now just through the process of living your life as fully as you are able.



elizabeth wrote: And if you had the option to start again here, would you change how you interact or stay true to who you are?

(I have an idea of what you will say but am curious. )


I would not change a thing lol. I always strive to never compromise my beliefs or principles in anything I do. In the end that is all we have and if we give those to another there is nothing of us left.


elizabeth wrote: Also if you could teach here, what is the lesson you feel would benefit most?


I care very deeply about truth and so I would emphasis critical thinking as a very important theme through any lesson. So many people seem to not be able to do this and it always baffles me. Now this is not to say that I see everything in life as empirical. I believe there is a mystery to life and I want people to explore those questions, but I hate to see people arrive at conclusions based on faith and fallacy. There is a difference between denying something exists and just not accepting that it does exist. Sometimes there are just no conclusions to be had either way.

For example. If we were discussing unicorns - I don’t believe unicorns exist (even though I really want them to). I don’t believe they exist because sufficient evidence has not been presented to prove they exist. However that does not mean I am denying they cant exist. They could very well exist and we just haven’t found the evidence for them. But until that evidence is presented we also cannot just accept they do exist.

We can continue to explore the possibility of their existence but we should only do this from a rationally skeptical position. In other words it’s irrational to just decide they exist by invoking faith and pretending they exist just because we really want them to. I want them to exist and I could use faith to say they exist but I want to believe things about the world that are true more strongly than I want to believe unicorns exist. For me its better to see the world for what it ACTUALLY is rather than what I want it to be. We don’t make our own reality, reality is what it is, no matter how much the mystics claim otherwise.

It’s that natural state of balance that we should always strive for in all aspects of our lives. There is a rational way to approach any issue or concept and I think it’s important to learn this idea above almost any other. And when we encounter something we can’t explain, as we often times do, its ok to say “I don’t know”. In fact it’s better to say this than to make up some fantastical explanation for something that there is no evidence for. We need to be strong enough to admit we don’t always have the answers, and even more importantly, we may NEVER have those answers to life. That still doesn’t mean we can’t explore them. We just need to explore them with that critical eye.
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6 years 6 months ago - 6 years 6 months ago #301808 by

SamThift wrote: What was your favorite part about being a Marine? Why?

What was your least favorite part about being a Marine? Why?

S/F/DD


I had many favorite parts. First and foremost is the brotherhood. I earned my place as a member of the most elite fighting force on the face of this planet and that is something no one will ever take from me. I was proud to serve with my brothers and sisters and defend this nation from enemies foreign and domestic. The strongest bonds I have ever formed in my life are with those I served with and I am still closer to many of them today than any other relationship I have ever had. (I would say excluding family but they are family to me.)

Facing the challenges presented to me over my years of service forced me to grow up, taught me to never accept defeat and gave me life and career building skills that I have used ever since. I owe everything I am today to my time in the Corps. Plus I was in the air wing, so for 10 years I got to climb all over the most sophisticated air-born death machines to ever exist and I got to personally support them in action in Iraq while defending our great nation. What a privilege!

My least favorite parts were Field Days (of course lol), lifers that were promoted by attrition but couldn't find their ass with both hands, and the lack of promotions. I was in an overmanned MOS and I was a 10 year corporal with a CDI running a maintenance crew in charge of less "time in service" sergeants. That always sucked and when I came up for reenlistment I was denied because they were forcing a bunch of us out. (Thank you Clinton) So I accepted their separation bonus, took off my boots and went to college, but I have never stopped being a Marine.

SEMPER FI!!
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6 years 6 months ago #301811 by

Kyrin Wyldstar wrote:

SamThift wrote: What was your favorite part about being a Marine? Why?

What was your least favorite part about being a Marine? Why?

S/F/DD


I had many favorite parts. First and foremost is the brotherhood. I earned my place as a member of the most elite fighting force on the face of this planet and that is something no one will ever take from me. I was proud to serve with my brothers and sister and defend this nation from enemies foreign and domestic. The strongest bonds I have ever formed in my life are with those I served with and I am still closer to many of them today than any other relationship I have ever had. (I would say excluding family but they are family to me.)

Facing the challenges presented to me over my years of service forced me to grow up, taught me to never accept defeat and gave me life and career building skills that I have used ever since. I owe everything I am today to my time in the Corps. Plus I was in the air wing, so for 10 years I got to climb all over the most sophisticated air-born death machines to ever exist and I got to personally support them in action in Iraq while defending our great nation. What a privilege!

My least favorite parts were Field Days (of course lol), lifers that were promoted by attrition but couldn't find their ass with both hands, and the lack of promotions. I was in an overmanned MOS and I was a 10 year corporal with a CDI running a maintenance crew in charge of less "time in service" sergeants. That always sucked and when I came up for reenlistment I was denied because they were forcing a bunch of us out. (Thank you Clinton) So I accepted their separation bonus, took off my boots and went to college, but I have never stopped being a Marine.

SEMPER FI!!


Somehow once I hit the submit button I knew that "field days" would be a part of your "least favorite"...I'd be lying to myself if I said that wasn't at the top of my list too. :)

Side note then...when/where did you serve? I was with MAG-12 out of Iwakuni for about 3 1/2 years of my 5 year enlistment...but deployed with an element from Camp Pendleton out to Iraq in 2005. Somewhere along the way I tore a bunch of tendons in my shoulder and couldn't re-up myself. But I feel ya on the "senior Corporal" leading a shop with a bunch of time-in-service promotees who knew half of what I did as to what our work actually entailed.

Needless to say...that camaraderie is a strong part of what we all miss after we get out. Maybe I'm a hack, but I always have an unnaturally high level of respect and affection for other Marines, whether I served with them or not...so knowing you are one too, you'll always find a friend behind my avatar.

S/F

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6 years 6 months ago #301815 by

SamThift wrote:
Side note then...when/where did you serve?


Sent ya a PM!

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6 years 6 months ago #301818 by Amaya
Thank you I loved those answers :)

Everything is belief
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