Coach Bill / Dad, Entrepreneur Special Educator, American Political Scientist, Writer, Musician.

It is said that every day we lose a soldier/ veteran to suicide. A steady flow of tragedy besets the country and its families as each of these mighty men (and women) whom the nation has invested greatly into take their own life, usually after their time in service. Every day the lights go  out for at least one of them. It is cause for concern. With all the individual, unfolding events that occur within the nation, a din of information seems to drown out key happenings that desensitize us collectively to the diverse constant losses we endure as a country. What is more, we must all pick ourselves up to go to work the next day, seek to create happiness and peace through it all and live out our lives to the best of our abilities. This is good. To keep moving forward is important, rather than to stagnate, dwell and stop forward engines. But there must be some of us who stop to look back and tow those that have fallen, yet are not gone. There must be some of us...

It used to be called  “shell shock.” The reality of war can put a soldier in situations not normal for the average human being. Prolonged exposure to the drama and aftermath of violence can surely have an effect on a person’s mind and heart (soul). ‘Shell shock’ has been well-documented on film, such as Tom Cruises character in, ‘Born on the Fourth of July’ and late-director Stanley Kubrick’s, ‘Full-Metal Jacket.’ A person’s ‘bearings’ are shifted and a new normal takes hold. This new normal juxtaposes itself against the normalcy of everyday society. Inevitably, the soldier who has experienced sustained levels of stress has what amounts to separate operating systems which do not always agree with each other.  The ravages of war are not taking in with a soft light. I had a friend who served in Iraq as a Marine. I knew him before and after his service. Many active and veteran armed forces personnel never see the front lines or have to literally fight their way out of ...

The role of the father in the life of their children cannot be underestimated. It’s absence or presence directly impacts the rise and fall of a community. That said, the role of the mother is as equally pivotal as well. Many a times, it is the mother who is the safety net and ‘fall-back’ position for children when crisis, emergencies or divorce break up the family unit. In my line of work as a Special Educator of 13 years across multiple states ranging from Massachusetts to Hawai’i, I have seen and experienced first hand the ins and outs of families that go through the gauntlet of divorce, drug use, violence…and apathy. As a male and a  father of three, I am sad to say that a lot of the times, the father is the one who is no longer in the picture. This is a hard truth, more so as we go down the socio-economic ladder. In Hawai’i for example, the prevalent use of hard drugs, such as crystal meth, has delivered a super-blow to many families. Dad’s in these situations end...

Parents with children with severe special needs commonly mirror the emotional turmoil of soldiers with PTSD, or Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, a term used to replace battle-hardened, 'shell-shocked' men coming from war. Just yesterday I was in a particular office with four mothers, and it being Puerto Rico, the conversation was loud and inclusive. By no means would I attempt to enter a conversation as a stranger on the U.S. mainland, but the culture is different here. People are warm, gregarious and a bit nosy... kind of like one big family...kind of.. So these Moms are talking about their children with autism, and one has tears welling-up in her eyes, the other is 'unloading' her thoughts and feelings after so many years of battling and advocating for her child, and another Mom (not all at the same time) is telling me and everyone in earshot how frustrating it is that just about every year her child has to get re-acquainted with a new set of Special Educators, a new s...