When the Human Spirit and the Everyday Meet

I believe that life is to be lived both thoughtfully and practically, in the place where the world of the human spirit and the world of everyday things meet together.

At the age of 20 I was sent to Vietnam as a medic with the US Army. I was a college dropout — a former literature major — and a conscientious objector. After much reading and reflection, I had decided that, although I am not a pacifist, I could not carry a weapon in the war. Wanting to serve, I felt that being a medic offered a suitable course of action.

Shortly after arriving in the Mekong Delta, I had an experience that gave me a reflection of who I am and how I approach life. Riding in the back of a truck with other young men in my unit, I looked at the landscape around us — green rice fields nearby, tropical treeline in the distance and, overhead, a great, blue sky with large white clouds — and I commented on the beauty of the scene. I was startled at the reaction this elicited from my new buddies. They cussed me out, thoroughly and energetically. I was told that I was naive, that no one who had been in combat in this area could possibly consider the scene beautiful, and that I would soon learn that there was nothing to like about treelines.

A few weeks later, after having been under fire with the others, and having been wounded while aiding several of them, I found myself riding in the back of another truck with members of my platoon. Once again, I commented on the beauty of the countryside through which we were passing. There was a long and uncomfortable silence. Then one of my buddies said, “It’s not beautiful, but you’ve been there, and you can say anything you want to say.”

People in war may despair of ever again enjoying the world’s beauty. I believe that I can enjoy life — here, now and with what I have. I take pleasure in my family, my friends and my work. I enjoy reading. I like to look at flowers, birds, pinecones and seashells, and beautiful landscapes.

War forces us to see what is wrong with the world on such a large scale that no one who has been to war can ever imagine that everything is always right with the world. People in war often feel powerless to make the world a better place. What I learned is that I can help other individuals — here, now and with what I have.

After returning from Vietnam, I became a registered nurse. I currently work in a community hospital emergency department. I believe that by being both thoughtful and practical, I can be of use to those individuals whom I encounter in the course of each day, in the place where the world of the human spirit and the world of everyday things meet together.