I was talking to the soldier about my “people don’t change” theory…

“The other day I was taking care of a drunk,” I said. “How long have I been up to that?”

“You take care of everyone.”

“I do. I said I was not going to take care of people on that Dispatch but as it turns out, I may change who I take care of but I will still take care of them. I am still working. And what about you? You’re a soldier. You revert to your training. Nothing is going to change that. I know you make a conscious effort to live and fit in the civilian world.”

“Yep.”

“But if the conditions were to arise where you are called to full blown fighting, how long would it take for you to be in total soldier mindset? A few minutes? Seconds?”

He laughed.

“You had the opportunity to watch me in a relationship with the AMF. You saw that relationship end and you watched what I did. You also had the experience personally. You and I broke up and I didn’t do anything to either one of you so that’s my behavior over a 30 year span. I don’t screw people up when a relationship ends but if you get involved with someone who does… if they cut the throat of the one before you, then you can be sure they’re going to cut yours.”

“That’s true.”

“Yep, the only way that won’t happen is if they consciously decide not to act to form and even if they decide it will be hard for them. They will have to fight the impulse to cut the throat because they are a throat-cutter. It’s what they do when relationships end, it’s their instinct. I would have just as hard a time messing someone up just because they don’t want to be with me. In fact it would be nearly impossible.”

What do you think this means?