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Carlos Ortiz

@cdrillsgt

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Retired Army 42 years, Cancer survivor, Saved by grace. Warrior for God.
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ME AND MY TWO BEST FRIENDS — BO & SHILOH. 🐾 Life has taught me that some of the greatest blessings don't come with words. Sometimes, they come with four little paws, unconditional love, and two loyal hearts that never leave your side. We've traveled miles together, shared countless adventures, and faced life one day at a time. They don't care about my past, my battles, my scars, or what tomorrow brings. They just want to be by my side. I've learned that loyalty doesn't need an explanation, love doesn't need conditions, and the best companions sometimes have four legs. God blessed me with two beautiful souls, and I wouldn't trade them for anything. by @cdrillsgt
THIS IS WHAT I SAW WHEN THE BLINDERS CAME OFF. When you're emotionally invested in a serious relationship, you don't always see the red flags. You see the potential, believe the promises, and fall in love with the picture of the perfect woman she presents to you. You make excuses, overlook inconsistencies, and keep giving chances because you believe in the person you think she can become. But sometimes, you have to walk away to see the truth. When the emotional attachment fades, the fog lifts, and the patterns you once ignored become impossible to deny. THIS IS WHAT I SAW. When I stepped away and looked at the relationship with clear eyes, the picture changed. The inconsistencies, behaviors, and patterns I once overlooked became impossible to ignore. The mask came off, and what I saw was what I believed to be narcissistic behavior. I'm not a medical professional, and I'm not qualified to make a clinical diagnosis. However, I've studied these behavioral patterns enough to recognize what I experienced and lived through. I know the difference between healthy relationship struggles and repeated patterns of manipulation, avoiding accountability, and destructive behavior. I may not be qualified to diagnose anyone, but I am qualified to speak about what I experienced. A man can spend years trying to understand a woman he loves, only to realize that his love was keeping him from seeing what was right in front of him. Never confuse someone's potential with their reality. Never sacrifice your peace trying to fix someone who refuses to take accountability for their actions. Sometimes, walking away isn't losing a woman. It's opening your eyes, reclaiming your peace, and finally finding yourself again. VET CAREFULLY. WATCH THE PATTERNS. PAY ATTENTION TO ACTIONS, NOT JUST WORDS. The wrong relationship can cost you years of your life, your peace of mind, and pieces of yourself you'll have to fight to get back. Sometimes, the greatest blessing isn't finding the right person. It's finally seeing the wrong relationship for what it really was. by @cdrillsgt
HE SAW ME. He saw me on My Radiation Bed. WHEN I WAS AT MY LOWEST, HE SAW ME. I'll never forget those moments lying on a radiation bed, facing a battle I never asked for. In those quiet moments, when I was alone with my thoughts and uncertain about what tomorrow would bring, there was one thing I knew: Jesus had not turned His face away from me. He saw me lying there. He knew my fears, my pain, and the weight I carried in my heart. The world couldn't see what I was going through on the inside, but He could. I've faced many battles in my life, but cancer brought me to a place where I had to lean on something greater than my own strength. I had to trust God, even when I couldn't understand why I was going through it. Looking back, I know I was never truly alone. Even on that radiation bed, God saw me. He knew my name, He knew my heart, and He knew my story wasn't over. Cancer did not get the final word. Fear did not get the final word. My circumstances did not get the final word. God did. Today, I stand here grateful for another day, another chapter, and another opportunity to share what He has done in my life. I am a survivor, but more importantly, I am a witness to His faithfulness. Jesus saw me when I was at my lowest, and I will never stop giving Him the glory. by @cdrillsgt
When they were just weeks old, they attached themselves to my side, and they haven't left since. If dogs can teach people anything, it's loyalty and unconditional love. by @cdrillsgt
No, Jeep yet. Still sporting my Toyota. by @cdrillsgt
PRIDE, EGO, AND THE REFUSAL TO CHANGE. “That's just who I am. Take it or leave it.” That's one of the biggest excuses an immature person makes when they're unwilling to confront their own behavior. Instead of growing, they expect everyone else to accept their chaos. At some point, you have to be honest with yourself and ask, "Am I the problem in some of the situations I keep finding myself in?" If you always need the last word, make excuses for your behavior, and refuse to admit when you're wrong, it's time to look in the mirror. That's pride and ego standing in the way of your growth. We all have flaws, but maturity means recognizing them, owning our mistakes, and making an effort to do better. Your past may explain your behavior, but it doesn't excuse your refusal to change. I've learned that loving someone isn't just about what you feel. It's about how you treat them when you're angry, how you respond when you're wrong, and whether you're humble enough to apologize when your pride tells you not to. You can not repair a relationship when only one person is willing to acknowledge their mistakes and do the work. One person can not carry the weight of two people's accountability. You can not heal what you refuse to acknowledge, change what you refuse to confront, or sustain a lifelong relationship by repeating the same behaviors that keep destroying it. Love requires communication, compromise, forgiveness, humility, and accountability. Real change requires action, not empty promises. The goal isn't to find someone willing to tolerate your destructive behavior for the rest of their life. It's to become someone capable of building a healthy relationship where both people feel respected, valued, heard, and loved. Because, in the end, pride might help you win an argument, but it can cost you a relationship that was worth saving. Sometimes, the hardest truth to accept is that the person standing in the way of the love you want is the person staring back at you in the mirror. by @cdrillsgt
After 42 years of military service, I'm finally getting to enjoy life at my own pace. 🇺🇸 Retirement is a new chapter for me, and I'm embracing it one day and one mile at a time. Traveling across America in my RV, discovering new places, enjoying the open road, and having Bo and Shiloh, my two Corgis, along for the ride makes this journey even more special. I've spent so many years working hard and serving others, and now I'm thankful for the freedom to slow down, appreciate the little things, and enjoy what life has to offer. With God watching over me, I don't know exactly where every road will lead, but I'm grateful for where I am today and excited to see what's around the next bend. 🙏🐾 by @cdrillsgt
Watching a Smoky Mountain sunset reminds me how blessed I am. Sometimes, I just need to slow down, breathe, and thank God for the beauty around me and the life He’s given me. by @cdrillsgt
LORD, HELP ME NEVER TO SIT AT TABLES YOU WOULD HAVE FLIPPED. Give me the wisdom to recognize what doesn't honor You, the courage to walk away, and the strength to choose Your will over my own desires. I DON'T NEED A SEAT AT EVERY TABLE. I JUST NEED TO BE WHERE GOD WANTS ME. by @cdrillsgt
TELL ME I'M LYING. Some people don't apologize—they rewrite the story until your reaction looks worse than their behavior. They hurt you, disrespect you, break trust, and then make the conversation about how you reacted instead of what they did. Marriage isn't about winning arguments or controlling the narrative. It's about accountability. A strong marriage doesn't require perfection. It requires two people willing to say, “I was wrong,” owned their part, and changed. Because protecting your ego will never protect your marriage. by @cdrillsgt
When she wants to be picked up, she will not take no for an answer. . by @cdrillsgt
BREAK THE PATTERN. You can’t change your marriage while repeating the behaviors that hurt it. Let go of pride, communicate, take responsibility, and choose growth over resentment. Break the pattern before it breaks your marriage. by @cdrillsgt

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