Happy Almost Memorial Day, Folks —
I am filled with a lot of emotion as I write this. Saying “yes” to the journey of making STRANGER AT HOME has opened up so many doors for us in the last several months — given us access to the hearts and experiences of the most courageous people I’ve ever met. I can’t express my gratitude enough for that.
Lu and I have been invited into the lives of military families, and been granted the privilege of sitting with them and listening to their stories. We’ve heard, firsthand, their expression of what it’s like living with post traumatic stress and worse — the endless return of the battlefield experience rising up in their hearts and psyche when they least expect. Scar tissue on the soul.
Honestly, I didn’t know what to expect when we sat down with these willing and brave human beings — willing and brave to open up with us, that is. I thought I could relate — to some degree — to their surges of fear, their waves of grief. Afterall, I’ve experienced pain and loss. If you live long enough, that’s inevitable.
The truth is I’ll never — and thankfully so — come close to knowing what they’ve lived through, and upon returning from combat, unfortunately, live over and over again in a 3D horror film way. Their service — to me, to this country — has spared me from ever knowing the full extent of what “going to war” means and what “coming home” again portends.
There’s no “home” anymore, really. Nothing will ever again be the same, safe, secure for these soldiers. The way I’m comprehending their situation, it’s like they have to learn to walk all over again. Baby steps back into another life — a life they left behind but don’t recognize anymore.
Can you imagine?
They were at the top of their training, their purpose, their commitment, their loyalty in the military. They make it back and they are newborns again — people without roles, actors who can’t remember their lines. Afterall, no one responds authentically to the uniform here. It’s a costume that doesn’t fit the play anymore.
I am both excited by and proud of the response we’ve gotten to STRANGER AT HOME since our crowd funding campaign went public two days ago. We know that we’ve walked into something big, something sensitive, something important in our desire to make this documentary.
Who are we? We’re not veterans, that’s for sure. How can we tell their stories? Well, we can’t, but they will. Our job as filmmakers is to facilitate their truth. May we continue to be blessed with the grace, humility and strength to do right by them and their families as we see this film forward.
Please step-in with us and go to our campaign site: http://igg.me/at/stranger-at-home
We’ll be back on Tuesday with more updates on the progress of the campaign, but before I go, my heart tells me to leave you with this bit of consciousness about our veterans who are affected with post traumatic stress. I’ve learned that fireworks mean something very different to them (listen to Richard in our clip below).
I know we love our holiday fireworks, but for our veteran’s sake, perhaps we can all demonstrate a greater mindfulness on the subject — especially since it is “their” day. I sure know my dog would appreciate it, too.
Blessings to all the service men and women we have known or know. May we honor them on Memorial Day — and every day — with conscious acts of kindness to all.
Have a safe one,
Beth
