The Walls That We Build

Every military base or fortification, since practically the beginning of time, has had walls.

Strong walls, tall walls. Walls to keep the bad guys out, or even walls to keep the bad guys in...

Everywhere you go, you'll see walls made of concrete and steel. Many buildings are fortified by surrounding them with special containers that hold tons of sand, gravel, rock or concrete.

"HESCO Bastion Concertainer® is a prefabricated, multi-cellular defense system, made of galvanised steel Weldmesh and lined with non-woven polypropylene..."

They're not attractive, but they are effective at defending against explosives, rockets, bullets, etc.

Recently I've noticed the walls a little more. I've noticed how they are there to protect us, but they also isolate us. We're here to help this country, but we must put ourselves at risk everytime we go out to meet with anyone.

It's a similar situation when people are hurting. They often want to stay inside their own "walls" for protection, yet will only find healing when they step outside, or let someone else step inside.

By the same token, we need to step out of our safety zone in order to help others. Everyone has stress and issues to deal with, and the deployed environment can add to those challenges. Many people keep "a stiff upper lip" and drive on with their mission, but it's almost always good to relieve stress before it builds up too high.

If you know that someone is hurting, ask them about it. Often, just talking about the situation can vent the frustrations and enable the person to feel better and move on... We're all brothers and sisters anyway, so help those around you when you can.

When you help someone else feel good, odds are that you'll feel good too!