Inured to the vulgarities of this war;
immune to the vagaries of all my fear;
immured in the vacuousness of Life's sphere:
I'd put on my uniform there, and was invincible, and anonymous.
I wore my uniform home, and I was vulnerable, and obvious.
I stored my uniform away, and no longer bore a "Hero's" onus.
My camoflage kept me safe for over 16 months.
My camoflage is memory now; I've never escaped it ONCE!
My camoflage is not "camoflage" any more: NOW I use MASKS!!
An introvert in an extrovert world. We can play the extrovert at great cost to our endurance.
Is the reason for the mask that you are tired of being a reminder of a time when America failed in a commitment to another country and its men it sent to honor that commitment?
Do not hide. Wear your mask with pride. Less they should forget and again commit too not commit. You paid the price, so don't think twice when you are shunned and ridiculed, it reminds them and long as they remember and have the image before them, maybe there won't be a next time and no more of our men and women will have to feel like they are the mask or behind a mask.
Thought provoking.
Huck
HK