Who would ever have thought that I would write a book? It only took me six years. Six years of trying to let you know me and comfort me through my expression to you, my fellow vets.

Writing released me to explore what I was feeling and to understand it is ok to be fearful and what society would call “’not normal.” But all of you understand why and don’t judge my words. You have a story; how far can you share it with us, your brothers and sisters? When you do, you will find a release you never knew existed by letting yourself be known, all in your own space, your own time, in your own private setting. No judges, no criticism, no put-downs, just you sharing yourself with people who can identify.

Writing allows me to be able to cope much better with my own issues of PTSD and memories I don’t want. I find solace in the fact that you all can comprehend them. Understanding is half the battle for coping and for self-improvement to try to become the best version of myself.

I stumble and fall short and share some of those experiences, and somewhere along the line I make some sense out of things that made no sense at all. Is this healing? I don’t know. But I hope to make some kind of sense for you too.

All my life, in everything I did, I helped others until disability forced me to retire. At 65 I started writing, coached by a great lady who turned out to be a great friend and led me to Veterans’ Voices. She’s Pris Chansky, the former administrative director of Veterans Voices Writing Project, always giving everything she has to further the cause of veteran issues. A national treasure.

My book is unpublished because I don’t have the courage, time, money and effort to see the project through. It is written in manuscript form, and I have printed out dozens of copies and given them away to all those who ask. They never knew why I am the way I am, and now they know me.

I let myself be known. Nobody can know you unless you allow yourself to be known. From 21 to 65 1 never looked at myself, only others. Looking inside was difficult for me. Now, it has unleashed a torrent of feelings that somehow have made me a better person, all through the written word.

You, my brother and sister, have a story to tell. It can be serious or funny or filled with your innermost thoughts. It can bring back great memories along with those that are not so great. This I can tell you for sure: when you write you will have an eager readership waiting to know you, and every single one of us will understand what you are writing about.

The power of writing awaits you and will open you up to exploration you never thought possible. My admiration for all the authors over the last six years helped me tremendously and made me a better writer in both stories and poems.

So, there you have it, my friends, the reasons why Veterans’ Voices means so much to me. If you try, it will mean the same thing to you too!