Helping Hundreds

I must tell you how honored I am to be serving our military members and their families. Since arriving at Ft Campbell, KY, this installation that is partly in KY and partly in TN, I have presented workshops and briefings to hundreds. Nearly 200 soldiers yesterday (Feb 11, 2009) who had returned from combat the day before. Helping them navigate the reunion and reintegration processes of rejoining their families. Helping their families ready themselves to receive their returning soldier. It is an honor. I have two weeks yet to serve here at Ft Campbell. Time that will move too quickly and end too soon, but gets me back to the home fires that my wonderful wife has kept glowing in my absence. Dr. D.

Communication More Than Talking

They were talking past each other. He said, she said. No you didn't. Yes you did. Whew. Communication is one of the top three difficulties in marriage. We teach Active Listening which requires a person to repeat what the other person said and to ask "did I get it right?" If not, the "sender" gets to clarify before the "receiver" gets to respond. This is a difficult process, but if used several times it becomes a great help in listening. Active Listening. Try it and you'll see that it helps. Sometime you'll even laugh about it. Then you know you're making progress. Dr. D

Time is Relative

So, I was talking the other day to some folks about time. It seems that in the heat of the moment folks don't believe that in 5 years this moment will not be remembered. Oh, I'll remember being here, but not much about the details. I only remember vague ideas of past events. I remember vacations, but not what happened every day of the vacations. Get the idea? Folks will remember where they were or what they were doing, but the arguments will have been forgotten. Today will have been forgotten. So, there is good reason to let this moment pass without the conflicts, because they will be forgotten, so why have them? This is a good thought the next time we are tempted to create a fuss over something that will never be remembered. A pretty good idea for facing each day. Dr. D.