Freewrite Day 350 Freedom

“This is the sound of freedom.”

I heard or read these words a thousand times while living in Coronado California. This phrase is said whenever jet planes or helicopters roar by overhead. The people who say this are so proud and happy to be disturbed by deafening noise.

This happens over and over and over again in a navy town surrounded by military bases. The flight paths vary and sometimes the noise continues in a very annoying way for days on end.

I have a different take of the noise of these screaming engines and I am so grateful to be free of them now.

Since I did financial work for the US Navy at the time, I first thought "This is the sound of money."

Then I would think of people in other countries being traumatized when they hear this terrifying sound. It’s really scary when they come after you.

I know what is like to be chased by a helicopter because some military aircraft and border control aircraft can pick up on the pacemaker I have in my heart. They would sometimes chase me down while I was walking on the beach or out late at night. I'm sure they were excited to have something to do and I could watch them change their flight path to come and check me out.

If my son (the one with severe ptsd) was with me, he would be terrified. One of his friends was there when it happened once and he would later see me walking and say, "Hey! Let's go call some helicopters!"

Helicopters have hovered over me many times. I would have a big uptick in this behavior when new crews came in for training. Then they turn on all their devices and I do not have a chance.

Later I lived near a different airbase and it happened there too. In that place, a standard flight path was less than a quarter of a mile away for helicopters. The people I worked for said the helicopters never used to fly over their house until I got there.

I learned to do a few things. I could hide behind a big tree (not a small one) and if I went into a building I would be safe.

But most of the time I was out in the open. So I learned to look up and smile and throw up the peace sign. They have cameras and can read my lips with them. I would talk to them and say"

“I’m somebody's mom! I don’t have weapons. I have a pacemaker”.

Then I would push away my clothes to show it to them. When I was obese I had to move the thing around in my chest. Once I got thin, they could just see it.

I would just keep repeating this talking and pacemaker showing until they went away. Sometimes five minutes later another craft would fly over me just to make sure. I would wave them off again and I was never killed.

The old ladies in war zones are not so lucky as me.

Here is a video I recorded at another place and time. At thirty seconds into this video, you can hear the sound of freedom if you think that is what it is.

My post is for the #freewrite daily challenge by @mariannewest. Freewrite is a great way to post on steemit when you do not think you have the time, or talent, or anything to say. I know you can do this too! Here is Marianne’s freewrite prompt post for today. Give it a try and surprise yourself.