For those of you that aren’t sure what PTSD stands for, it is Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. Post-traumatic Stress Disorder, or PTSD, is a psychiatric disorder that can occur following the experience or witnessing of life-threatening events such as military combat, natural disasters, terrorist incidents, serious accidents, or violent personal assaults like rape.

People who suffer from PTSD often relive the experience through nightmares and flashbacks, have difficulty sleeping, and feel detached or estranged, and these symptoms can be severe enough and last long enough to significantly impair the person's daily life.

I'm pretty sure I have this disorder and that it was caused during my early childhood. I was well known for bringing home all sorts of wild animals to have as pets, everything from squirrels to an armadillo to add to my collection of pets.

 On this peculiar day I had been down fishing on a farmer’s pond with Delbert. He and I were in the same grade and attended the same school in Oklahoma, we were always together doing something. We used to dare each other to do things that now as an adult were just plain crazy. One example of this was fishing  in the local farm pond, as you would casts out the line with the bobber hitting the water, water moccasins would swarm from out of nowhere. We would dare each other to just swim out to the bobber and back.

In between the dares, both had noticed this large rock moving in the shallows in front of us. Delbert looked in my direction to see if I had seen the same or was he hallucinating. We both laid down our fish poles at the same time and starting tracking the dark colored object moving in the shallows. Then out of nowhere a head emerged from the object, it was the head of a huge snapping turtle.

Not wanting to get into the water for fear of snakes, Delbert went and found a large stick and proceeded to poke at the turtle, with this the turtle clamped onto the stick and wouldn't let go. Together with all our might  we dragged that turtle out of the water onto dry land. I let go of the stick and grabbed hold of the turtle’s tail. The turtle wasn't happy with the fact I now had his tail and with that he let go of the stick and lurched himself in my direction in order to bite me.

It was decided that this turtle was now to become a great addition to my collection of pets. Of course the turtle had different ideas  and had no intentions of  cooperating. I had convinced Delbert to help me get this turtle back to the house, so he kept the turtle distracted with the stick as I dragged on its tail.

Traffic would slow down to gawk at the two adventurous mountain boys and the turtle, as the turtle walked sideways biting a stick and being dragged by the tail along the side of the highway. Upon reaching the house three hours later, Delbert and I were exhausted. We needed to find a place that would temporally house the turtle until we were able start the excavations work of building a pond in the back yard.

The only idea we could come up with in short order was the  use of the family bathtub. Delbert and I hoisted the turtle over the brim of the tub and let go. The turtle was so large that he had to be placed at an angle because his shell was wider  then that of the tub. We filled the tub with enough water to allow the turtle to right himself and be fully submerged. The turtle seemed very content with his new home.

Being exhausted from this adventure, Delbert and I had decided to play  a nice relaxing game of cards on my bed. My bedroom looked out into the main corridor of the hall that connected the bathroom with the living room. Both mom and dad were at work and I would have to wait till later to show off my new found pet.

Being only nine at the time and my twin sisters a year younger, mom and dad had arranged for us to have a babysitter during the times they were not at home. Mom had decided on Shirley, a woman that worked with her at the hospital. They were both RN’s and Shirley working the opposite shift and offered her services. She had no idea of what she was getting herself into, thinking that watching kids after school and on weekends would be fun.

On this peculiar day Shirley had decided on taking a quick shower before she headed off to work. Shirley was what you would call a full figured woman, she seemed huge to us kids. As Delbert and I lay on the bed we heard this blood curdling scream from the direction of the bathroom and at that very moment both Delbert and I came down with the disorder called PTSD.

We had both experience and witnessing a life-threatening event as Shirley ran nude down the hallway screaming. That was our first encounter with nudity which scarred the fragile state of us two boys for life. It's also my assumption  that the turtle also experienced the same disorder to a higher degree. The turtle just lay there in the tub with it's eyes the size of golf balls, floating meaningless.

Dad later had explained the events as they unfolded in the bathroom. From his accounts Shirley had turned on the shower and proceeded to get undressed. We had the shower curtain closed to keep the daylight out for the turtle. She had placed her foot into the bathtub and at this point she heard the hissing noise coming from the tub area. The turtle was not about to let anyone else share his new found home and let out a hiss along with chopping of his mouth.

From there it was all down hill for Shirley, she had let out that scream and in the process of running down the hall, had lost all bladder control. Dad arrived home a short time later and explained to her that both of us boys would be punished for doing such a thing. He came into the bedroom and shut the door all the while trying to hold a stern look on his face.

Dad started making these weird sounds of a whimper and his face was all contorted. At that point he could hold his laughter in any longer; he even tried to cover his mouth to quiet the laugh with tears coming down his face.

Dad then ordered us to let out a yelp every time he clapped his hands. This was supposed to sound like Delbert and I were being spanked. Only problem was Delbert was pretty slow on the uptake and would let out a yelp before dad could clap his hands. Dad explained that the turtle was meant to be free in the wild and helped us return him to the pond.

Years later I still wake up with sweats from that traumatic event in my life. Last I knew Delbert was still in therapy and was unable to function as an adult. I have not seen nor heard from Shirley since the streaking but I am positive she changed her name to Ethel and a song was written about her. The turtle went through intensive turtle therapy before being let free in the wild again.

Its my hope that they will soon come up with a treatment to totally erase past  traumatic memories.