I have a new appreciation for the people who serve in our nation’s armed forces.
I thought about this after running around with a paintball gun this weekend. Since getting hit with a paintball is not a pleasant experience (they can reach speeds of 190 mph), I was dreading it.
Eventually I got shot and left the playing field. With the match over, I got to relax, though I could feel the adrenaline still coursing through me. No harm done.
Afterwards, I tried to imagine for a moment how running around with a paintball gun like an idiot compares to being a solider: nothing is a “game”, there is little downtime (even at night, if you’re in the field) and if you get hit you can die instantly.
How the fuck do those people do it?
It’s difficult, but you adapt to your situation and keep on. Later when you return home, you realize how much it fucked you up …
