hurting runs off my shoulders...

PTSD Patrol
Kathie Costos
January 1, 2021

A new year begins with hopeful hearts across the world after a horrible year. How do we know that? The people around the world joined in to sing Neil Diamond's iconic song Sweet Caroline!

"2020 has been a tough year for everyone, so we wanted to bring people together the best way we knew how: Through music," a message at the top of the video reads.

"To inspire people to come together, we challenged fans all around the world to sing along to 'Sweet Caroline,'" it adds.

The videos feature people alone and in small groups, as well as larger ones such as a baseball game and what seems like a wedding party, where the song can often be heard. USAToday

Emotional pain is not limited to nations or races, or sexes. It is not limited to the greedy or the needy. It hits all humans. The question is, what do we do about it? How do we respond to the needs of others or ourselves?

With hope because we do more than just feel sorry for others and others do more than just feel sorry for us. WE DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT!

Sweet Caroline

Neil Diamond

Where it began, I can't begin to knowing

But then I know it's growing strong

Was in the spring

And spring became the summer

Who'd have believed you'd come along

Hands, touching hands

Reaching out, touching me, touching you

Sweet Caroline

Good times never seemed so good

I've been inclined

To believe they never would

But now I

Look at the night and it don't seem so lonely

We filled it up with only two

And when I hurt

Hurting runs off my shoulders

How can I hurt when holding you

One, touching one

Reaching out, touching me, touching you

Sweet Caroline

Good times never seemed so good

I've been inclined

To believe they never would

Oh no, no

Sweet Caroline

Good times never seemed so good

Sweet Caroline

I believe they never could

Sweet Caroline

Good times never seemed so good

Source: LyricFind

Songwriters: Neil Diamond

Sweet Caroline lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group

Hurting doesn't just rub off the shoulders of anyone without help. Understanding with empathy, leads to inspiring empowerment action. Hope is fueled by the knowledge you matter to someone. Your outlook changes and hope shoves hurt off your shoulders! The thing is, hope is a very jealous thing allowing no room for anything else. It wants to spread out take over everything in your life, and is contagious. It wants to spread to everyone you know, everyone they know and even to strangers you encounter everyday.

Think of it this way. The cashier you smiled at, could have been having a rough day, but your smile and kindness changed their mood, and they changed the mood of hundreds of others shopping that day. Other cashiers noticed and their mood changed. They in turn, changed the mood of the shoppers in their line. Soon the manager notices and makes a happy announcement to everyone in the store. Then the managers of other stores are made aware of what is going on, so they do the same and thousands of moods are changed for more and then they pass it on.

This is the reason I do what I do. I know what it is like to be hurting, lonely, hopeless and not wanting to get up out of bed. On the flip side, I also know what healing is like because I found what I needed to so that I could heal the cracks in my soul. I found what I needed to change my husband's life and give him hope. After that, it seemed only natural to share what I could to change the moods of everyone I could reach, knowing they would reach others and change their moods too. 

Last night as I was praying, I thanked God for the mission He set me on way back in 1982. I thanked Him for the inspiration of these daily videos for everyone, even while lamenting about having to walk away from just working with veterans and their families. They couldn't find me anymore because the internet got too crowded. With over 8 million others dealing with PTSD in this country alone, topped off with a raging pandemic, isolation and loneliness, it seems the right time to shift. I don't regret it. 

The only way this work gets shared, like the smile given to a cashier, is for you to share it. Other people didn't know who started the chain reaction but it still changed their days. If you are reading this, then please share it. If you are watching the videos, please share them too. Give me credit or not, that doesn't matter. The mission is to change lives not to take credit for what God put in my heart to do.

Remember, it is your life...get in and drive it!

Andra Day - "Imagine" (Live From Times Square NYE Ball Drop 2021)

Renew hope for New Year

PTSD Patrol
Kathie Costos
December 31, 2020

Did you get up out of bed this morning because you had to, or because you wanted to? If you got up because you had to, then that is a rough way to start a new day. If you did it because you wanted to, then that means you have hope left in you, and that is a great way to begin a new experience. 

There was a time when I got up because I had to. I had a daughter I needed to take care of. I had a job I needed to do, because I had a daughter to take care of. It wasn't the job I wanted to do and I didn't have the marriage I thought I'd have, but it was, what it was....sucky!

Then things changed. I changed the way I thought about a lot of stuff in my life and got hope back. Things got better all the way around and I wanted to get up in the morning. Life was better!

Having hope makes a lot of difference. Believing that, whatever you hope for can happen, makes things worth doing.

If you are dealing with PTSD, then have hope that you can heal and believe it will happen, Then make the changes in your life to make it happen. No better day to start than tomorrow...for a whole New Year!

Remember, it is your life...get in and drive it!

#BreakTheSilence and #TakeBackYourLife from #PTSD

If you wake up and don't want to smile

If it takes just a little while

Open your eyes and look at the day

You'll see things in a different way

Don't stop thinking about tomorrow

Don't stop, it'll soon be here

It'll be better than before

Yesterday's gone, yesterday's gone

Why not think about times to come?

And not about the things that you've done

If your life was bad to you

Just think what tomorrow will do

Don't stop thinking about tomorrow

Don't stop, it'll soon be here

It'll be better than before

Yesterday's gone, yesterday's gone

All I want is to see you smile

If it takes just a little while

I know you don't believe that it's true

I never meant any harm to you

Don't stop thinking about tomorrow

Don't stop, it'll soon be here

It'll be better than before

Yesterday's gone, yesterday's gone

Don't stop thinking about tomorrow

Don't stop, it'll soon be here

It'll be better than before

Yesterday's gone, yesterday's gone

Don't you look back

(Ooh)

Don't you look back

(Ooh)

Don't you look back

Source: Musixmatch

Songwriters: Christine Mcvie

Don't Stop lyrics © Universal Music - Careers 

Journey - Don’t Stop Believin’ (UNICEF Won’t Stop) 

Just a small town girl

Livin' in a lonely world

She took the midnight train goin' anywhere

Just a city boy

Born and raised in South Detroit

He took the midnight train goin' anywhere

A singer in a smokey room

The smell of wine and cheap perfume

For a smile they can share the night

It goes on and on, and on, and on

Strangers, waitin'

Up and down the boulevard

Their shadows

Searchin' in the night

Streetlights, people

Livin' just to find emotion

Hidin' somewhere in the night

Workin' hard to get my fill

Everybody wants a thrill

Payin' anything to roll the dice

Just one more time

Some will win

Some will lose

Some were born to sing the blues

Oh, the movie never ends

It goes on and on, and on, and on

Strangers waitin'

Up and down the boulevard

Their shadows

Searchin' in the night

Streetlights, people

Livin' just to find emotion

Hidin' somewhere in the night

Don't stop believin'

Hold on to that feelin'

Streetlight, people

Don't stop, believin'

Hold on

Streetlights, people

Don't stop believin'

Hold on to that feelin'

Streetlight, people

Source: Musixmatch 

and for those who like the original one better

Journey - Don’t Stop Believin’ (Escape Tour 1981: Live In Houston)

We'll get through this. 

We've made mistakes,

But we've made good friends too. 

Remember all the nights we spent with them?

And all our plans,

Who says they can't come true?

Tonight's another chance to start again.

It's just another New Year's Eve,

It’s Just Another New Year’s Eve

Don't look so sad,

It's not so bad you know.

It's just another night,

That's all it is, it's not the first,

It's not the worst you know,

We've come through all the rest,

We'll get through this.

We've made mistakes,

But we've made good friends too.

Remember all the nights we spent with them?

And all our plans,

Who says they can't come true?

Tonight's another chance to start again. 

It's just another New Year's Eve,

Another night like all the rest.

It's just another New Year's Eve,

Let's make it the best.

It's just another New Year's Eve,

It's just another Auld Lang Syne,

But when we're through this New Year

You'll see, will be

Just fine.

We're not alone, we've got the world you know.

And it won't let us down, just wait and see.

And we'll grow old, but think how wise we'll grow. 

There's more you know, it's only New Year's Eve. 

It's just another New Year's Eve, 

Another night like all the rest.

It's just another New Year's Eve, 

Let's make it the best. 

It's just another New Year's Eve, 

It's just another Auld Lang Syne,

But when we're through this New Year, you'll see, will be 

Just fine.

Source: LyricFind

Songwriters: Barry Manilow / Martin Panzer

It’s Just Another New Year’s Eve lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group

wonderful way to end this horrible year

PTSD Patrol
Kathie Costos
December 30, 2020

UPDATED 
This morning I woke up to a fabulous video from Boston Dynamics. It has been such a shitty year, they decided to do something to lift people up. The video had me chair dancing and I had to share it.

I couldn't get it off my mind because it also speaks to the fact that after this shitty year, people will be celebrating it coming to an end. (Hopefully in their own homes with their own families.) That is what people do when something horrible ends. 

They will be celebrating even more when the vaccine is given to most Americans and people can get back to work, going to movies, games, concerts, shopping, or whatever else they did in their "normal lives." They will celebrate even more. 

Most of them now understand what trauma is now, sadly. The question is, why aren't you celebrating surviving whatever cause PTSD in you?

YOU SHOULD BE DANCING TOO! You should be celebrating the life you have ahead of you when you are happier. Just like with the New Year coming, dreams of a better year can turn into reality if you work at it.

The feature video today is The Bee Gees You Should Be Dancing, because you should be dancing and celebrating too!

For now, make sure you have a sturdy chair before you watch these videos. Mine almost broke!

Remember, it is your life...get in and drive it!

#BreakTheSilence and #TakeBackYourLife from #PTSD

When I saw this I thought about how it is a wonderful way to end this horrible year~

watching robots dancing with joy to Do You Love Me!

Our whole crew got together to celebrate the start of what we hope will be a happier year: Happy New Year from all of us at Boston Dynamics.

Now, you are not a robot, but imagine how you just felt joy watching this video. Stunned by what can be accomplished by people with wild imaginations and talent? 

Then imagine what you can do to change your life so that you feel like dancing too!

feeling lonely, you are not alone

PTSD Patrol
Kathie Costos
December 26, 2020

If you've been feeling lonely, you are not alone. Two of the most famous songs with lonely in the title came from famous singers. Roy Orbison and B.J. Thomas showed an emotional connection to the songs, because they understood what it was like. If they can understand it, wow, that tells you something right there. Plus being top hits, it also says that there are a lot of people who know what that is like.

Christmas is over and now comes the time to figure out what your New Year's resolution will be. This is a gift we are supposed to give ourselves with the beginning of a brand new year. Lose weight, exercise more, complain less, but no matter what I promise myself, it is forgotten about a few days later. This year, I decided that I was going to change whatever I could so that I'd stop feeling lonely. My other site, Wounded Times has 4,745,340 page views, and this one has almost 70,000, and then all the videos, but even with all that, I am lonely. 

I am blessed with a wonderful daughter, my husband and I have been together forever and I have some terrific friends, but I am lonely. They don't really understand what I do, so I am alone doing it. It sucks! That is why this year, I decided to start now to change things. I am seeking new people online who will understand what I do and find some company there. 

If you are trying to heal PTSD, it can suck because the people you know have no idea what you are dealing with, so find others who will. Find the support you need with groups or from people who are going through the same thing. Being lonely sucks, but when you are feeling lonely surrounded by others, that loneliness fades and you take some comfort with them while giving it to them as well. Win-win all the way around.

Don't settle on a lonely life when you have the power to change that.

Remember, it is your life...get in and drive it!

#BreakTheSilence and #TakeBackYourLife from #PTSD

"I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry"

(originally by Hank Williams) 

Did you hear that lonesome whippoorwill?

He sounds too blue to fly

The midnight train is whining low

And I'm so lonesome I could cry 

Did you ever see a night so long

When time goes crawlin' by?

The moon just went behind a cloud

And I'm so lonesome I could cry 

Did you ever see a robin weep

When leaves begin to die?

That means he's lost the will to live

And I'm so lonesome I could cry 

The silence of a fallin' star

Lights up a purple sky

And as I wonder where you are

I'm so lonesome I could cry 

Yeah I-I could cry-eye-eye

I could cry-eye, eye-eye-eye, I-I could cry-eye

I could cry-eye, oh-oh-oh-oh

I-I could cry, I could cry

(AZ Lyrics)

Only the lonely 

Know the way I feel tonight

Only the lonely 

Know this feeling ain't right 

There goes my baby

There goes my heart

They're gone forever

So far apart

But only the lonely

Know why I cry

Only the lonely 

(Oh, oh oh oh oh ooh-ah-ah, only the lonely)

(Only the lonely

Only the lonely

Know the heartaches I've been through 

Only the lonely

Know I cry and cry for you 

Maybe tomorrow

A new romance

No-o-o more sorrow

But that's the chance

You've got to take

If your lonely heart breaks

Only the lonely

Source: LyricFind

Songwriters: Joe Melson / Roy Orbison

Only the Lonely lyrics © Barbara Orbison Music Company, Roy Orbison Music Company, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., BMG Rights Management