Living through history - Lunch Ticket
There’s a certain weight a person holds when they’ve been part of a monumental moment in history. That weight can influence the way they act, how they cope, and, ultimately, who they become.
I’ve seen this weight on people like my grandfather, who flew in a total of 91 combat missions during World War II. He got a distant look in his eyes when he talked about his time overseas. He didn’t seem to mind sharing stories every once in a while. When he spoke, I could see his mind transport to a different time and place. He had to insert himself into another world entirely to recall the details.
My dad had a similar weight, though he rarely talked about it. He was drafted into the Vietnam War when he was 19 years old. Overseas, he caught malaria and was close to death. He was there almost a full year before he could come home. I tried not to ask him about Vietnam. He didn’t seem eager to go back in time and sort out the details.
