My Unusual Truths from an Uncertain Environment
I spent a few months in a place that wasn’t safe. There were people who wanted to harm me everywhere. They tried a few times, unsuccessfully. It could have been much worse; I’m glad it wasn’t. It taught me a lot about myself and about life.
There is a standard of living that has become commonplace that includes comforts so ingrained into our daily lives that we don’t even realize they are nonessential-until they’re not essential. In environments where life is at risk, lifestyle is a concept that does not exist. The only thing that matters is being prepared to fight for your life. Mentally, the fight is not if, but when. In reality, it might never come. But, you don’t let yourself believe that because if you do, complacency begins to set in.
At first, habits change in small ways to always be ready for the worst-case scenario. This comes in the form of mental checks of survivability against everything. The result is micro adaptions to mundane tasks and sacrificing small comforts. For example, what do you wear to go to sleep? When you run this decision through the mental checklist, you choose something that you can sleep in, run in, fire weapons in, and hang out in a bunker with your co-workers. It might not be what you’ve become accustomed to, but it becomes normal.
Sleepwear isn’t the only forgotten luxury. Simple life-sustaining tasks are stripped down to the most essential form. The one that is hardest to let go of is food. Its purpose is no longer for pleasure or enjoyment, it is only used as fuel. This is reluctantly realized as each meal becomes a chore to consume. Another richness that is oft-overlooked is restful decadent sleep. Sleep is scarce, and therefore sacred. Your only goal when you sleep is to sharpen your mind. Anything more than that simply does not exist.
Contrary to bygone extravagance, sometimes fundamental elements are reprioritized. Working out can be a treat for people with extra time and energy. However, when your life depends on your holistic well-being, exercise becomes necessary to build your resilience and maintain your body. It is as much a part of your day as taking your daily vitamins. Another necessity that tops the list is deep human connection. The people you are with become as important as the body armor you wear. Your least favorite person could be the one who keeps you from bleeding out or drags you to safety. This reliance can make building a trusting team a little easier. The sooner you establish trust with your team, the better off everyone is.
Finally, your space becomes comforting, no matter how uncomfortable it is. The hard bed with pokey springs will be the thing you long for at the end of the day. Making it as welcoming as possible is natural, sometimes unconscious, and necessary. There has to be space to relax a little. You have to have a mental and emotionally safe space in which to escape. But even in your safe place, there is no unwinding. When there is always a threat, you are always aware of it.
