Unpacking

It’s been a while since I’ve sent out a ☧ost because we’re still unpacking boxes and trying to get settled. Fortunately, I began working on a few Reborn podcast episodes before the shit hit the fan, which made publishing them on the fly a little easier. Unpacking my experiences is a whole different kind of work, but just as important.

“Ambushed by my capacity to kill” is the first section of the first movement of Reborn on the Fourth of July. The episode features actual audio I recorded during the same ambush with which I opened my 2012 autobiography. It was easy to write because it was so fresh on my mind whenever I thought about sharing my experience in combat. I recognized it as an important turning point when I could keep changing into something I might not recognize or I would have to be more careful about the moral decisions I was making.

It was June 22, 2004. I had never fired my rifle, but there had never really been a good reason to. When a battle buddy’s M-4 jammed, it was up to me to take up a position in the field of fire. I suddenly might have a reason to use my weapon. I might have a reason to believe I could be justified in killing someone.