Falling

by T.J. Newman

‘Sit deep and put your spurs on, girl.’

She knew men like him. Big on ego, small on tolerance.

“I know it’s how you reacted because I saw it happen. I was here. So was Ben. We were safe. We were in a country where attacks like that don’t happen. And all around us we watched you get your green smoothies and go to the gym. We watched you take selfies and go on vacation. I watched a grown woman sob hysterically, I mean, rolling around in the grass hysterical, when she saw a dog get hit by a car. And all I could imagine was the look on her face when she clicked past the news of my village’s annihilation. Bored. Distracted. I mean, the privilege.”

My baby brother. He was the reason I never resented losing all those years. He was what I was most proud of in my life. And he was taken from me, taken from me because this country sees him, sees our people, as nothing. Expendable. Just poor people they can do whatever they want with.”

Compartmentalization was the only way to remain in control during a crisis. Tackle the issue with logic and reason—deal with how you feel about it later. It’s a mindset drilled into every pilot from day one.