VA – Running on Fumes

It’s been “years” since we had a girl’s day, according to mini. So, during a midweek holiday, we drank coffee, shopped, and genuinely enjoyed not being rushed or fighting huge crowds of people with the same intentions.

On the drive home, the song Lowrider came on the radio. Mini’s body instinctively started moving. She just can’t help herself. Raised on good music from only the best decades (ahem), and with her dancer’s heart, her arms were moving, her head was going another direction, and her body was wiggling. She proudly exclaimed, “I don’t know what this is but it’s a jam!”

For posterity, of course

I support local

Noodle monster

She supports anything with boba

Earlier in the day, she couldn’t know I was lost in thought regarding a commercial – something about Kelsey Grammer saying veterans return from missions often hampered by internal and external turmoil, dealing with what they’ve seen or experienced but unable to openly share the struggles. It reminded me of a post I had seen that morning regarding how the stigma of PTSD was reduced by removing the D, the word disorder from it. PTS is somehow not as triggering as PTSD although the concept, symptoms, treatment, and worldview mostly remain the same. Are you following? The post went on to say just because you reduced the acronym doesn’t mean a veteran should reduce their need to firmly continue using the full PTSD terminology when seeking VA benefits or any kind of medical care.

Stay with me here. Mini couldn’t have known I was down this rabbit hole. We’re driving. Amicable silence. Me lost in thought. Apparently she was, too. Because she blurts out, “Mom, do grasshoppers bite?!” Her innocence knocked me out of my loophole. No, I don’t know if they bite. But I do know that perhaps the girl’s day was more about self-care and reconnection than it was about the shopping or the coffee.

The screenshot above is courtesy of Mission 22 via Instagram. There are several slides detailing the changes so please use the link I furnished to read further.

Moral of the story –

You can change the acronym but you can’t change the very real effects. You can remove a word but you can’t remove being seen. You can request the VA update their terminology but you should never expect a veteran to overlook what is happening to them and the care they deserve to receive.

____________________________

I ask you –

Ask mini how she pronounces purchases. Trust me. You’ll need this laugh!

(The post A girl and her purchases first appeared here at Running on Fumes.)

I forgot to mention a pretty amazing email I received on my birthday. Not the freebies. An invitation to publish in the US Public Administration Journal (USPAJ). I was floored. It’s been almost a year since I defended my dissertation and graduated, but there is never an end date on research and scholarship. It is a process to have it peer reviewed then published. However, it was a process to get this far so what’s new.

Photo by KoolShooters on Pexels.com

If 1% of humans serve in the military and 1% of humans earn a PhD, then what is the percentage of veteran women with a PhD? According the U.S. Department of Veteran’s Affairs, in 2023, 1.7% of women veterans have earned a PhD. In fact, trends point to higher education attainment in women veterans and women nonveterans versus men veterans/nonveterans.

Other interesting facts –

Only 1% of the population is truly ambidextrous. Many believe (or claim) ambidexterity; however, it means equal strength, ability, etc.
Chenowith, while studying civil disobedience, found it takes just 3.5% of nonviolent campaigns to spark political change.
Experience Aphantasia, a rare condition which prevents a person from visualizing an image in their mind, impacting the ability to dream or remember, among other issues.

Although I have only listed a few instances of 1% facts, undoubtedly there exists countless other examples. In this day of roughly billions of human inhabitants, it can be difficult to believe there are still rarities which exist. Not to worry, I still believe you are special!

________________

I ask you –

Are you part of a certain 1%?

(The post 1% first appeared here at Running on Fumes.)