By HARMONY VAN EATON
On Tuesday, February 11, the Brandon Blue Seal store hosted a guest speaker to celebrate the culmination of their fundraiser for the Wounded Warrior Project. All of the Blue Seal stores took part in the fundraiser, yet out of all the stores, the Brandon store brought in the most proceeds at $8,000 just at our local store! Wounded Warrior Dr. Tyshawn Jenkins of the U.S. Air Force spoke in the store about his life history, what led him into his military service, and his traumas both inside and outside of his military experiences. Dr. Jenkins credited a friend who insisted that he needed to go to Wounded Warriors with saving his life and allowing him to become a doctor who would in turn help others in need. He said that he was very reluctant to go to the meeting for Wounded Warriors, as he didn’t consider himself a “real” Wounded Warrior, since in our culture, we see that as physical wounds only. But at that time, the emotional and psychological wounds that Dr. Jenkins carried internally, from his personal life and military service, had driven him to search for solace in alcohol. Combat isn’t the only place we get badly hurt in life. His friend wouldn’t take no for an answer, and Tyshawn got the help, understanding, and healing that he needed to go on to get a PhD and create a positive solution for himself, and to give back to his community and to other Wounded Warriors. These are such important messages for our time. We all carry wounds, even if they aren’t all visible or physical, and we all need community, support, and to feel like we can help others as well. Tyshawn’s story felt so applicable to the human experience. Thank you to Brandon Blue Seal and our town for fundraising to help this cause!
