Go back to bed, Doc. You're home now and it's over...
My life today is a stark contrast to my life in the military. I have the most boring job on earth and work down in a laboratory spending most of my time at a computer or a microscope. The coolest thing I might do in a day is get to BJJ in the evenings and compete every now and then in a tournament.
It's safe to say I've pretty much structured my life in the opposite image of some of the worst things I've seen in other countries. One of the most amazing things to me over the years has been my Honeywell thermostat that sits at the base of my staircase. (Yes, you heard me correctly)
I wake up in the middle of the night allot. Really, I fucking wake up allot. Sometimes, it's hard to get back to sleep and other times I don't want to go back to sleep. I've heard one of the techniques therapists will teach patients with post-traumatic stress disorder is something called "grounding". When someone is having a panic attack, they might feel like they're suddenly reliving the experience and back in the moment. With grounding, they can calm themselves down by remembering they're not back in the experience, but, in the present and safe. Some of my closest friends over the years have told me this was a life saver and very effective for them since they came home. A few of them have even sworn by it as getting them through the day at work or being a better father at home. Just recently, I realized I might have been doing this for years without even knowing it.
My sleep for many years has been...not good. One of my old girlfriends made a hilarious impression of me sleeping years ago and had everyone laughing, even me. Even today, I get the frequent comments from co-workers; "Oh no, it's too early for that. Don't start yawning already." Or, "Jon...did you not sleep at all last night?" These are all in good humor, but no, I pretty much never go through a night without getting up at least three times.
One of the most amazing things to me over the years that can stop me dead in my tracks, make my heart pause and have me standing frozen with an expression that looks like I'm on another planet has been my Honeywell thermostat.
I can't even count how many nights I've gotten out of bed, decided to walk around the house and then paused and starred at my thermostat. Suddenly, the full weight of the world just seems to hit me all at once. I'll stand there completely frozen in the dead silence of my dark house and just suddenly realize I'm in my home, my family is sleeping safely upstairs, my pets are sleeping quietly all throughout the house and outside my home is a quiet neighborhood that's all sleeping soundly too.
This might seem silly to you, but, at that exact moment, I'm not thinking about anything disturbing anymore. It's actually an overwhelming feeling of sensory for me. I can feel the new carpet on the stairs, I can hear the AC or heat lightly humming in the vents, I can smell the vanilla and caramel oil diffuser, I can see the small green lights on my smoke detectors, I can feel the nice texture of the sleeping attire I'm wearing and I can even hear my giant black lab, Daisy, snoring on our leather living room couch.
Being able to be as warm or as cold as I want at the push of a button is a pretty overwhelming experience for me at two o clock in the morning. It's also one of the most first world and American things that's probably never even crossed your mind.
Don't underestimate that statement. This literally stops me dead in my tracks when I might be off in outer space thinking about things I hope you never experience. Suddenly, this one little item in my home teleports me back to reality. It's probably the most consistent thing that has ever cleared my head and "grounded" me back to earth and my soft and cozy life.
When I see the Honeywell in my home at the base of my staircase, I know I'm back in America, in my house and with my family.
All seriousness and no joking, I've never seen a thermostat on the battlefield.
Maybe that's why it's so effective?
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