Coming Home from Iraq...A Full Month Wiser

"It felt like I had nothing of relevance to say about the topics that came up....By taking part in the biggest thing happening in our culture, I sacrificed being in the culture itself."
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"The nature of this war prevents the public from a full grasp of understanding..Unless you have a friend or family member in the military, it's a separate reality...You can see the effect in the eyes of a soldier, hidden behind a smile that conceals a secret: you'll never quite understand what we did there. Like Atlas, we carry the immense burden of the country on our shoulders, waiting for the day seemingly long into the future when the American people say, that will do."

By Citizen Correspondent Alex Horton

Date Posted: 10/30/07

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In Coming Home From Iraq Alex Horton expressed his mentality upon his immediate arrival home from war. As opinions often change when one gets over their jet lag, and the novelty of the return to familiarity wears off, the viewer is more adept to seeing things in clearer perspectives. Alex continues detailing his thoughts upon returning to the States from his military term.

N ow it has been a month since I've returned to the states, but this week I've come back to my actual home. At some point in Baqubah I developed a hernia and waited until I made it back to Ft. Lewis to have it properly diagnosed and treated. I went into surgery last week and am recovering just fine. It still hurts to laugh (which is bad news for someone who giggles at their own jokes.) They gave me two weeks for recovery and I decided to take that in my hometown. Far away from a military base, the question arises with ferocious intensity: what does it feel like to be back? My usual short answer is, "it's nice to have a warm bed again." But that's not quite how it is. It almost feels like it gets harder, not easier.

Last week I was invited to a dinner hosted by Lauren's mother. Joining us would be Lauren's sister, her cousin who I had already met, another cousin I hadn't, and her fiancé. I retained my 'quiet with a few clever puns' persona and as such, didn't contribute much to the conversation. It felt like I had nothing of relevance to say about the topics that came up. My grasp of news and politics was more than a year old; only the biggest stories made their way across the ocean. By taking part in the biggest thing happening in our culture, I sacrificed being in the culture itself. I refused to be that guy who starts off every sentence with "this one time in Iraq..." But my options are slim.