Here is a simple truth that cuts through nearly every profession, every institution, and every claim of leadership: you are what you do, not what you Continue Reading
Recent Articles
Moments Are Thunder
But struck by lightningSometimes I wonder what my heart has been sayingThat’s what it’s all aboutSometimes it strikesOften it’s thunder and underI do Continue Reading
The Reaper
From childhood to adulthood, I have felt his breath upon my neck. I have lived with him longer than without. I have borne witness to his labors. I Continue Reading
Congratulations, Your Spouse Has Been Promoted to Casualty Affairs Officer
Veterans love readiness. They label cables, rotate supplies, memorize obscure acronyms, and keep enough batteries to power a minor coup. Some of them Continue Reading
Wisdom is Where You Find It, Even at Biker Bars and Redneck Rat Cage Juke Joints
This is somewhere in the late '80s. I was on the back patio of this skeezy redneck rat cage juke joint where I was Head of Security, trying to figure Continue Reading
Confessions of a Police Officer
By Jill Wragg Dear Citizens, Neighbors, Friends, and Family, My name is Jill and I am a cop. That means that the pains and joys of my personal Continue Reading
The Danger of Being “Normal”: Carl Jung and the Illusion of Stability
In military culture, “normal” is often treated as a benchmark. A soldier is expected to behave normally under pressure, to react normally to stress, Continue Reading
Extremism Starts Before the Weapon
My understanding of radicalization did not begin in a classroom. It began much earlier, shaped by personal experience, growing up in environments Continue Reading
Sleeping Wonder
Reality often does notOnly in dreamsAre we who we want to beSuch in a cold world Reality is often triteCascading thoughtsAre often what dreams look Continue Reading
The Moment I Knew Why There Were Suicide Bombers
I was preparing to deploy to Iraq when the thought bubbled up, seemingly out of nowhere. “Maybe I’ll die in Iraq.” I was surprised because my inner Continue Reading
The Power of Sharing Your Story
By Britta Reque-Dragicevic This first appeared in Britta's blog, "Life After War" and is republished with the author's Continue Reading
Cowardice With a Lanyard
The modern institution has discovered a miracle cure for reality: never diagnose it. Just rename every hard fact until it sounds like a workplace Continue Reading