WRECKS OF WAR.

Hokitika Guardian, 14 January 1922, Page 1

WRECKS OF WAR.

(By one of them). Throughout this country at present there must be thousands of one class of human war-wrecks. Very raicly are they suspected of being anything but normal. I am one of them myself, but (here are few people who know—or even guess—that many an everyday ind enioynble action for an ordinary ; i am means torture for me. 1 am referring to those ex-shell-shockt and neurasthenic cases no longer under trea.tmen,t. } Wjhe.n wo came in,to ,Ihc hands of the l • doctors, mos,t of us were: physical a.nd mental wrecks. The kindly attentions of the Army medical men eyred us of our physical rveaknesses, and, apparently, healed our mental deficiencies. A\e were discharged from hospital—normal, to all outward appearances.

Unfortunately, and unbeknown in many cases even to our medical advisers, shell-shock left behind it many legacies—super-sensitiveness, self-con-sciousness, shyness, and self-deprocia-lion. All these failings combined together have produced the inevitable — timidity.

Before the war I used to be a rational hind of person. T was fond of dances', dinner-parties, theatres, and other amusements. T took a delight in mixing with other people and making new acquaintances. All that is now over. 1 cannot''face these tilings. To go into a drawing-room and be greeted by, and give a return greeting tc a host and hostess before a crowd of strangers or friends is a sheer impossibility. My thoughts become chaos. Iniraedintily I am tongue-tied' and look the resultant fool!' The rumour goes‘round that I am “sligfitly strange That is

the depth to which the public can probe tlie matter. . ' X remember going to an hotel edding < a little time hack. I escorted my 4 aunt to the hotel, and for some unknown reason, we became separated Inside the buildng and T had to enter the salon by myself. t The moment my name was announced away went mv self-possesson. I en- ; tirely ignored the father and mother of the bride, who were awaiting to ! receive mo, and crossed over to my aunt, whose ha.ncTl shook to coven my embarrassment. Naturallv I was put down as an lllbrod boor. I could tell that by the quaint' glances which some of the other guests kept throwing in my direction. That made me worse. “ My reason for ignoring my host and hostess was simple. The moment T found myself under the gaze of a number of people when I enter the room my wits deserted me. To save myself from standing foolishly dumb before my two friends, I did something else quite as foolish. t . Flag days, and like occasions, I hate. The thought of having ,to chat easily to some unknown da,msel while she pins a sixpenny flag in my coat lapel is enough to drive me to a suicide's grave. ‘T cannot even read of a tjiQimting ( to a' height wjthoflt breaking out into profuse perspiration. I should he. carried out on a stretcher, if T went to see a gruesome play. ft i 9 a pretty record I admit, for a man who'' dabbled in most pre-war | sports. "jIW tWe are thousands lik« | mel !