The participants of the Northern Nevada Veteran’s Writing Group speak of caregiving, illnesses and adjusting to new realities. They speak of the past and memories of different days, of times locked in their hearts like the deadbolt on a door. No matter the contents of the story, they are met with understanding from everyone in the room.
“There’s no do-over”, someone gently reminded us that our experiences are real. Telling our stories, especially the very personal ones, is not easy.
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Following are excerpts from one group earlier this year:
*Disclaimer: Names have been anonymized due to lack of clarity on audio file.
All words and stories of participants have been edited for publication but the words themselves remain the same to honor the veterans who wish to tell their stories.
Some things may be offensive, triggering or mildly upsetting.
We would like to remind readers that our duty is to have an empathetic mind and not to seek to change.*
Big Revelation
Speaker 1: I spent 3 years in Italy.
I was in Naples, Italy…I spent 3 years there working out in the tunnels that were left by Germans.
Speaker 2: Wow. What did you do in the tunnels?
Speaker 1: Communication…like I said, I saw a lot of the world.
It was 1964. I enlisted and I was in for 4 or 5 years. Probably just went over for 5 years…and it never occurred to me [before then] that a check couldn’t write everything.
That was a big revelation to me at the time. I was going through pretty big changes in itself.
Decorations
Speaker 1: Winter is approaching. I have made arrangements to have an apartment here and I will not travel in winter weather back to Quincy unless someday is picking me up and driving me back after a few days.
Speaker 2: Smart.
Speaker 3: We all know how hard it can be to have health issues. It’s just nice to be all together for a minute.
Speaker 1: I never thought about decorations, about being decorated in the service of your country. As the holidays approach, I wonder will I ever put decorations on a small Christmas tree again? There’s a possibility of grandchildren being at the house with their dad (their dad being my son). Who will be caregiving for me when I can go home…he will have the house warmed. He takes care of the dog. His daughters in Eugene may be coming at Christmas.
Decorations hit a chord. Because you always want to have a Christmas tree again.
We would have ornaments on it, and lights on it. It would create the spirit that puts you into that spirit of Christmastime. Because of the memories in the decorations.
Thank you for being here and for the people who are listening to us.
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The group finds meaning in simple things, like decorations and the connection between how we decorate for holidays and how our veterans are decorated for their service to our country.
It’s small moments like that that remind us that the meaning of these groups isn’t about writing; it’s about making sense of experiences that don’t have easy explanations. It’s about being heard without needing to have the right words or phrases. It’s about recognizing that every story has value.
Participants come for different reasons but they are all navigating their own journeys.
Together, we create something powerful: a space where stories can be shared, held and honored because even when we find the words are hard to find, if we look around there is always someone who is willing to listen.
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