Replies

I believe women have an edge over men when it comes to bad smells and dealing with sights of sick people, even people dying in front of their eyes and they care for this person until death, watching that death process day after day.

Women are generally the “cleaners” whether it is baby poop or grown up poop of sick people (which would be wounded people as well in a SHTF situation). Women are generally the “nurses” as well, bandaging oozing wounds, cleaning wounds, treating wounds, etc. – seeing bad sights. It usually starts with our children and we learn to deal with it – turn off our smell receptors and clean the child after bowel movements - do what must be done. Men generally turn away from this task. It seems men have difficulty with bad smells. Now, I know some of you men will say nothing phases you, and if that is true, good for you.

Dealing with the sound of gun fire and mortars hitting, is different than smells. I have never screamed in my life. Screaming takes time. If it’s an emergency, I’m moving, not wasting time screaming. I have been in two car wrecks, and moving quickly was a good thing. On one occasion, the car had turned over and dumped me in the back seat. My skirt was caught on something and I could small gasoline but couldn’t move – my brain said, “GET OUT!”. I started ripping the skirt and when it let go, I went out a window and got away from the car. I had on half a skirt at that time. That skirt was fairly heavy material and I’m sure it was adrenalin that allowed me the strength to rip it quickly.

I know if I heard gun fire or mortars hitting, I would be thinking of my next move – the direction of the sound would cause me to move or stay still. It would be great to have a he-man around who knew what to do, but I don’t count on anyone but myself knowing what to do. Maybe the many mortars would freak me out, but I’ll be thinking about that so it won’t be the first time I considered it. I think mental planning, going through situations in your mind, what you would do first and next, etc. is life saving practice.

I'm perfectly happy to have wimmenz around to handle wounded and bratlings. I can do it, but I'm not happy about it. I managed to never once change a grandchild's diaper.

The sound of gunfire, cannonfire (especially A-10 cannonfire) and the krump of other assorted arty and mortars, gives me a warm fuzzy, generally. I grew up around it. Jets screaming overhead also tend to make me grin, and I can't control that.

You do what you do when stuff goes south. Some scream and shout, some work the problem. You never know until you have been through it.

I do know that me and Jesus are ok with me bleeding out on the side of a mountain during a blizzard.

I highly disrecommend the experience, though. A kidney turning into pulp because of blunt trauma leaves you unable to even scream.

/johnny

I'm glad you brought up sound. I've noticed a new (and fairly odd) behavior I seem to have acquired and I was curious to know if anyone else has experienced it.

What used to be rather ordinary and benign noises are bringing me to a moment of stark attention.

Odessa is on a particular flight path for the military. There is also the CAF nearby and a civilian airport, etc.

Until recently, the occasional rumblings and sounds of aircraft overhead hardly drew my attention.

But now, especially at home when it is quite otherwise, I get a sensation that could best be described as “fight or flight”, like an ultra awareness. For the moments it takes the aircraft noise to fade, I'm telling myself how stupid I am for being so paranoid.

But it happens every time nonetheless. Weird. Is it too much coffee?