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One of the hardest things about this project is not being able to do more other than sharing the stories observing the ugly truths to life. Listening to men and women express some of their hardest moments is courageous and humbling. Reginald sat in-between two buildings as the sun was about to set in downtown Minnesota. We small talked which lead into the story of being a combat medic in the Army. His story started off with my head hurts, every day my head hurts from the pressure, and the pressure causes me to cry in pain. He said when I came back, I wasn’t the same and the world as I saw it wasn’t the same. He went on to say war changes people. What I used to see as problems are now so small. Reginald asked me if I would pray for those who were lost in all wars, the families left behind and those still struggling. He went on to say some of the hardest things he’s had to do was bury his friends and young soldiers. He said you can never not see the faces of them in his mind.
Reginald told me that he suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder. He said the challenges are trying to function in a normal everyday life and have visual clarity when simple things become hard. Then the challenge of trying to live a normal life and maintain employment becomes a challenge, so he said this is why I find myself living on the streets