Unsolicited feedback can be encouraging, especially when it's positive. Had a very nice surprise of that kind this past this past week when I received a lovely and unexpected email from Arthur Egendorf, Ph.D., a dear mentor and friend, whose own work with war veterans recovering from trauma gave me practical hope that good, heartfelt work could be done in this area.
(Egendorf is a Vietnam veteran [Army intelligence] with a Ph.D. in psychology from Harvard, and a lifelong interest in therapeutic healing modalities, beginning with talk therapy and branching out from there. He was one of the originators, in the 1970s, of the "rap groups," that allowed returning Vietnam veterans to have someplace to go and peers to talk with, when they weren't willing to take part in the services offered by the V.A. In any history of the Vietnam era that focuses on PTSD and veterans, such as Gerard Nicosia's encyclopedic "Home to War: A History of the Vietnam Veterans' Movement," Egendorf is one of a handful of experts from the time whose name keeps coming up.)
I'll write more later in the month, as a certain anniversary date rolls around, about how much his award-winning book "Healing from the War: Trauma and Transformation after Vietnam," (sadly, now out of print) was put to constructive use with one veteran, whose life it helped to change. It's fair to say that my copy of his book is fairly well completely yellow from highlighting key passages, thoughts and inspirations, so it was especially gratifying to receive these unsolicited kind words from him.
Dear Lily,
In dedicating so much of yourself to the men and women who risk and give their lives for duty, honor, country you do all of us, this mostly sleep-walking America, a great service. As tireless, fearless, noisy (when necessary) and deeply caring witness you give our soldiers and veterans what they deserve from this entire country but get from only very few. As one who knows a bit of what it takes to love and care for bloodied and pained survivors who've fought for all of us and then have been mostly ignored, I salute and cheer you on to keep waking us up. Keep shaking us, Lily. Keeping making us see how much those who've served have given to us, and how much we owe our thanks, respect and unending care. You go girl.
Artie Egendorf
Editor's note: For more of an introduction to Egendorf's work, here are a few posts that mention him, linked here, here, here (this one in particular, called "A Hand Across the Abyss: How Openness Helps Heal"), and here, among others.
