Got off to a good start after high school as went to Vanderbilt University which is a top ranked school. And despite diverging after by enlisting in US Army, I did become a military officer later with a direct commission.
Then my life felt like went off the rails. A racist officer deliberately smeared me on an officer evaluation among other things accusing me of hitting on his buddy's girlfriend. His buddy it turned out was the civilian Radiation Safety Officer whose girlfriend was the head of the Mammography Department!
I once asked her to lunch in the hospital cafeteria. Was a friendly gesture. She declined. I thought nothing of it. My job back then was inspecting all radioactive emitting devices including in her department.
But was accused of hitting on her in an evaluation that read like a soap opera. So I appealed, got a JAG attorney who just really shrugged and said he could get away with it. And the US Army separated me but thankfully with an honorable discharge.
So much for claims of US Army about fairness and am not mad now. That was nearly thirty years ago. But my faith was shaken. I would trust American systems, no more.
Am glad I learned that lesson! In recent times a pandemic has been badly handled. Has killed and killed but people keep being told is managed. Are pressured to go back to work if managed to leave to be safer.
The pandemic virus causes brain damage and actually shrinks brains. Is airborne spreading when people talk! Governments have resisted telling those details though. I know is fear of additional government regulations, like for clean air or rights of workers.
The talk of our nation is one thing but like I learned with US Army, you cannot trust that.
But work is necessity. My work life went off the rails. That distrust I learned was not helpful for stability. But was great for personal safety. Repeatedly I found lies and exploitation were the norm. Trying to find a way to make my own way was eventually technically homeless. But relied first on family and later my status as a veteran to never be forced to live on the streets.
Have documented much here. Have under label: struggle.
We work for many reasons where is not just about surviving but also thriving. Our systems are deliberately broken. Am working now to fix them.
