*I didn't write this - my friend 'Afghan Princess' sent this to me - she didn't write it either.
http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendID=97188083
I don't agree with some of it, and it's not the most well-written thing I've ever seen, but I thought it might be of interest to some people...
*** " THINGS TO REMEMBER WHEN TALKING TO AN AFGHAN " ***
1. We do NOT know Osama personally!!!! Because of him our BEAUTIFUL mountains were bombed into hills!!! Just imagine Switzerlands mountains would be bombed into hills!! A Tragedy!Just because he was hiding in Afghanistan does not make Afghans terrorists just like you wouldn't be called a bankrobber if some Swedish bankrobber sneaks into your cellar to hide and invite his Swedish friends to the cellar to teach them how to rob banks. Is this analogy logical enough for you?
2. Osama Bin Ladin IS NOT AFGHAN!!!!!! He is an Arab.
3. I'm sorry to dissapoint you but over 99,999999 percent of Afghans do not qualify as: Terrorist, part of the Taliban(mostly men from Pakistan and Arabian countries), part of the Mujahideen, or part of the Northern Alliance.There was NO Afghan man involved in any of the terrorist attacks or any terrorist actions, not one single person with an afghan nationality or afghan roots was sitting in any terrorist plane or was bombing any western country.Afghanistan is a country in Central Asia and far away from Arabian Middle Eastern Countries.
4. Afghans are called AFGHAN not afghani or afghanistani,afghanistanian,afghaninanian or afghanistanmarsian !"Afghani" is our currency , i'm not calling you Dollar either , right?
5. All Afghans LOVE their country...and when I say love, I don't mean patriotism....I mean deep heartfelt passionate love...the kind of love that makes you want to kiss Afghan soil and cry for Afghanistan and die for Afghanistan...Afghans love for Afghanistan goes WAY deep.
6. Afghans have their OWN language!!Pashto and Dari are the official languages of Afghanistan. Dari has always been used for business and government transactions.Both belong to the Indo-European group of languages.(Dari is similar to the iranian Farsi , Pashto is a unique language)
7. Simply to be CORRECT Afghans / Pashtuns do fall under the White racial group. Historians trace the origin of the country Afghanistan into remote prehistory, referring to it as ancient Aryana , Land of The Aryan .Technically we may be Asian ( Afghanistan is called "The Heart of Asia" ) , but we fall under the white category.If you don't believe it:every country including the United states of America officially stated that Afghans/Pashtuns are considered white/caucasian(<-thats what we correctly mark on legal documents ;). Don't get me wrong because racism is a horrible disease and of course EVERYONE lovable no matter what ethnicity, race , religion , nationality , mentality etc. is loved.Afghans are one of the original White people to populate the planet and that does NOT mean that we would be european because anthropologically we are the ORIGINAL Aryans , that's just a fact and doesn't mean any ethnicity would be any superiour or anything in that wrong direction.It's just very sad that some Europeans used this catchy word Aryan and used it to kill other people.If you say"Aryans have blue eyes and blonde eyes or they are basically European" that's just wrong because Aryans refer to people who lived thousands of years ago,in today's Afghanistan.Ethnicity isn't about what colour your skin has.For example africans have different bone structure,asians have different eye and body features as well.You can even differentiate a persons ethnicity by looking at the bones after their death to identify them. Afghans/Pashtuns fall into the White/Caucasian category most simply because of our built/makeup etc.(...some might now ask.. and why all that when we're all equal anyway?? well you're right and just let me say it even more simplistic : "If you gotta label your ish you might as well label it correctly ! " )
8. Afghans are not persian durrana either , because persians are from Iran and yes that's another country and not part of Afghanistan. Yes India is another country too.
9. Afghans don't take negative opinions about their country well...be it an insult or constructive criticism.....say it to our face, and...well don't say it to our face...or behind our backs for that matter...believe me we Afghans stick up for our country. Don't blame a lot of people for not wanting anyone else /soldiers/ troops in their business . Especially when they've had bad experiences before.If you have a fight at home with your wife or a neighbour would you want some complete stranger who doesn't even speak your language to get unasked into your business and move into your bedroom for the next years acting like a superhero?Wouldn't you be afraid?I could also use this comparison:imagine there's is a civil war in Texas and the Chinese Government would say they send troops to help Texas not even knowing anything about Texas,not knowing any of the mentality,not even speaking english.And since most governments are not quite as selfless as Mother Theresa the question is ..Why?.. What's in it for them?)
10. Afghanistan is located in South Central Asia. Afghans are NOT Middle Eastern.In terms that you geography retarded people might understand: Afghanistan is above Pakistan (which is above India) and to the left of the outskirts of China (please tell me you know where that is) and is right of Iran (which is the outskirts of the Middle East) and south of Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan (just think of it as south of Russia)...Simple enough for you?
11. There is no stereotypical Afghan outer appearance. We have brown, black, blonde and red hair. We range from white white skin to dark South Asian skin... We have brown , blue , black , grey , hazel and green eyes. Basically, there is no way you can rule someone out as not being Afghan...we are a diverse peoples .
12. Islam is the main religion of Afghanistan but not the only one. Most Afghans are very traditional in their way of thinking but more moderate when it comes to religion . Also you can not judge a religion only based on some male extremist fundamental fools and psychos who drag their noble loving religion in the dirt by making up LIES about it.and REMEMBER: before you ask if I have to wear a burka or a scarf on my head....LOOK...it will save you the trouble of dealing with a scary look on my face and me forming a fist. Same goes for asking guys about beards and stuff.We believe that the God we pray to is the same as the God all other monotheistic religions like Jews and Christians pray to(Monotheism means the worship of the One God.)Let me explain it to you this way.. assume you're Christian and you move to Italy and their word for God is translated "Dio" that doesn't mean it is a different God does it??same as the word "Allah" or as Afghans say "Chodda".And again it is just sad that some use this language barrier to create false enemies.
13. Here is the Afghan philosophy about men and women: Women are like flowers and men, well, they are the dirt that surrounds a flower (summed up by some Afghan poem I can't remember). Women are beautiful, fragile, a gift from God....They must be carefully watched over because just like a flower, they will dry up from too much exposure....Men are strong, sturdy, and they are the caregivers...they provide nourishment and a home for the women...It's really complex, but just understand that women are not oppressed in our culture; they are revered and highly admired. Men are not superior or oppressive; they are respected and appreciated!
14. Afghans have sadly experienced life the hard way for more then the last quarter century of going through different wars.....many many of them have seen family members be murdered in front of their eyes ..have seen family members being raped(don't you think there is a reason they even tried to hide women under something ridiculous like a burka?if there would be the chance of getting raped by various foreign soldiers/invaders any minute would you still run around in your sexy miniskirt or let your sister or other loved ones run around like that?THINK ABOUT IT,ok?..)..have been innocently imprisioned and tortured...have fled their treasured country by foot hundreds of miles just to save their children... have held, and even shoot a bazooka,none the less a gun..they have lost family treasures..they have lost the respect of others....they have been through A LOT.Just imagine for a minute how you and your close family would feel like going through horrible things like that and how your hometown would look like after being constantly attacked.So Next time you see Afghanistan on TV/ News..remember this is what you see ....a country and population exploited and traumatized by war for many many years.
15. Afghans are tough.....I mean seriously.....Our national sport consists of men on horses racing around with whips to attack the opposing team and using a 60 lb dead goat as a ball. Deaths..common..... injuries....unavoidable..... HAHA and you thought Rugby was bad..
16.Afghans are some of the most hospitable people in the world...they love guests like they love family.... and the way they love family is beyond imagination . It's really very sweet .Invite yourself to ANY afghan family , even if you don't know them , to dinner and you'll be welcomed with open arms and you'll experience what being treated like a honored guest is like.
17.Afghans know how to party....and I don't mean "get drunk and though you don't remember what you did you know you had fun" kind of party...I mean the kind of good clean fun you didn't even know existed....endless tea, endless food...dancing, singing, playing instruments, telling stories, telling jokes, kids running all over the place while movies and music playing in the background, neighbours complaining about the noise, the aroma of afghan food in the air , old and young all together....laughing,smiling,hugging....endless fun until the break of dawn...literally
18. Afghans rock . Period :)
Tuesday, September 26, 2006
Sunday, September 24, 2006
So. You are against 'the War'. Great. What War?
Seems like a lot of people in the USA and Canada are against 'the War'. They blithely make these comments without really taking the time to realize that 'the War' is being fought on many different fronts in different countries, with many different methods, and with many different motives, means, and objectives.
I am in Afghanistan. There are also people fighting in Iraq. Afghanistan is not near Iraq. It is next to Iran, and also borders several other countries, including China and Pakistan.
First, some brief background might be in order. We (USA and the Coalition Forces from many, many nations) have been here the longest. We came here very soon after 9/11 after it was thought that Osama bin Laden was hiding out here. He is probably in the general vicinity - if not here, then Pakistan. He is the main reason we first came here. Finding him is definitely the main reason that the people of the world were given to justify our presence and continued presence here. We are still fighting his al Qaeda terrorist group (both here and in Iraq), as well as the Taliban, and Hezb-i-islami groups, and other assorted scumbags. We are also helping to rebuild Afghanistan, largely through Coalition military Provincial Reconstruction Teams (PRTs), government agencies (USAID, USDA, USDOS, etc.), and NGOs (non-governmental organizations).
What did you, dear reader, think we were doing here? Why did we come to Afghanistan? Why are we still in Afghanistan? Is it the same as Iraq? Are you against us here in Afghanistan when you say you are against 'the War'? Do you even think of Afghanistan when you even say the words 'the War'?
It seems we are the 'Korean War' of the new millenium. Historians call that conflict 'the Forgotten War'. My dad's brother - my Uncle Charles - gave his young life as a Marine there. I think we are largely forgotten in Afghanistan, or are unfortunately lumped in with the war in Iraq. Granted, the whole shebang is being marketed as the 'Global War On Terror', so it can get a bit confusing.
Do I like being here? Do I like losing my buddies and fellow soldiers at the hands of these animals? I hate war in general - and death, destruction, and violence - but the jihadists and Muslim extremists do not. Their eradication alone will bring world peace. Their version of their religion teaches them to hate us (Westerners, and all non-Muslims). The evil mullahs teach that we are not human if we aren't Muslim, like them. We are nothing but animals fit for slaughter in the most inhumane ways if we do not convert to Islam.
People decry the purported 'abuse' at Abu Graib prison - but at least the enemy that we take as prisoners still have their heads attached when we are through with them. I have a photo in my desk at the VA of an Iraqi prisoner being 'abused'. The caption reads: "If wiring the scrotum of one Iraqi prisoner to a battery terminal will save one American life, all I have to say is.... Red is positive and Black is negative." A lot of the outrage over Abu Graib in the West was fueled (surprise) by the leftist mainstream media who hated President Bush before 9/11. President Bush and by default anything associated with him (including the military) are demonized, vilified, ridiculed and disdained. He can do no right, even when he does do the right thing.
Our enemies don't follow laws, and rules, and the Geneva Convention. They don't give a shit about any civilized, modern laws of warfare. They don't give a rat's ass whether you march for peace, have a sign in your yard, attend a protest, light a candle, burn the US flag, or hate our commander-in-chief. Doing these things certainly affects our morale, though. (By 'our' I mean the military. We soldiers fighting the battle on the ground).
The terrorists certainly won't change their minds overnight, that's for sure. They have thought this way for centuries - it was their jihad on the West that brought about the response from Rome and predominantly Roman Catholic Europe called the Crusades. But we are trying to change all that by 'winning hearts and minds' here, and elsewhere in the Islamic lands. I, and many soldiers, deplore war and violence, as I noted above. I really wish I was out of a job (my Army one, anyway). Maybe our great-grandchildren will live in peace - but my wish is for that to come about much sooner rather than later....
If wishes were horses, then fools would ride. I'll keep wishing until the horses come home ...
I am in Afghanistan. There are also people fighting in Iraq. Afghanistan is not near Iraq. It is next to Iran, and also borders several other countries, including China and Pakistan.
First, some brief background might be in order. We (USA and the Coalition Forces from many, many nations) have been here the longest. We came here very soon after 9/11 after it was thought that Osama bin Laden was hiding out here. He is probably in the general vicinity - if not here, then Pakistan. He is the main reason we first came here. Finding him is definitely the main reason that the people of the world were given to justify our presence and continued presence here. We are still fighting his al Qaeda terrorist group (both here and in Iraq), as well as the Taliban, and Hezb-i-islami groups, and other assorted scumbags. We are also helping to rebuild Afghanistan, largely through Coalition military Provincial Reconstruction Teams (PRTs), government agencies (USAID, USDA, USDOS, etc.), and NGOs (non-governmental organizations).
What did you, dear reader, think we were doing here? Why did we come to Afghanistan? Why are we still in Afghanistan? Is it the same as Iraq? Are you against us here in Afghanistan when you say you are against 'the War'? Do you even think of Afghanistan when you even say the words 'the War'?
It seems we are the 'Korean War' of the new millenium. Historians call that conflict 'the Forgotten War'. My dad's brother - my Uncle Charles - gave his young life as a Marine there. I think we are largely forgotten in Afghanistan, or are unfortunately lumped in with the war in Iraq. Granted, the whole shebang is being marketed as the 'Global War On Terror', so it can get a bit confusing.
Do I like being here? Do I like losing my buddies and fellow soldiers at the hands of these animals? I hate war in general - and death, destruction, and violence - but the jihadists and Muslim extremists do not. Their eradication alone will bring world peace. Their version of their religion teaches them to hate us (Westerners, and all non-Muslims). The evil mullahs teach that we are not human if we aren't Muslim, like them. We are nothing but animals fit for slaughter in the most inhumane ways if we do not convert to Islam.
People decry the purported 'abuse' at Abu Graib prison - but at least the enemy that we take as prisoners still have their heads attached when we are through with them. I have a photo in my desk at the VA of an Iraqi prisoner being 'abused'. The caption reads: "If wiring the scrotum of one Iraqi prisoner to a battery terminal will save one American life, all I have to say is.... Red is positive and Black is negative." A lot of the outrage over Abu Graib in the West was fueled (surprise) by the leftist mainstream media who hated President Bush before 9/11. President Bush and by default anything associated with him (including the military) are demonized, vilified, ridiculed and disdained. He can do no right, even when he does do the right thing.
Our enemies don't follow laws, and rules, and the Geneva Convention. They don't give a shit about any civilized, modern laws of warfare. They don't give a rat's ass whether you march for peace, have a sign in your yard, attend a protest, light a candle, burn the US flag, or hate our commander-in-chief. Doing these things certainly affects our morale, though. (By 'our' I mean the military. We soldiers fighting the battle on the ground).
The terrorists certainly won't change their minds overnight, that's for sure. They have thought this way for centuries - it was their jihad on the West that brought about the response from Rome and predominantly Roman Catholic Europe called the Crusades. But we are trying to change all that by 'winning hearts and minds' here, and elsewhere in the Islamic lands. I, and many soldiers, deplore war and violence, as I noted above. I really wish I was out of a job (my Army one, anyway). Maybe our great-grandchildren will live in peace - but my wish is for that to come about much sooner rather than later....
If wishes were horses, then fools would ride. I'll keep wishing until the horses come home ...
Friday, September 22, 2006
I Don't Really Know What To Call These ... Surveys?
These are two 'Memes' given to me by my friend Ange (Life In The Pumpkin Shell). She sorta tagged me in one of her comment boxes, so I guess I'll play along. I do not know what a'Meme' is, really, other than a list of things that you have to answer (a survey, if you will). Apparently, people on here tag each other with them as sort of a game they play. It's all good. I didn't stick to just one book on some of these... And I think I only had to do one, but I did both, anyway. Here's mine:
1) A book that changed my life: Liturgical Shipwreck, by the late Michael Davies. He’s written many books, and this one is more of pamphlet, really. Much less than 100 pages. I read it once and decided that Traditional Roman Catholicism was for me. Latin Tridentine Mass …. Incense, Gregorian Chant, the whole nine yards. Mel Gibson and his father are with us, as well as a man I used to work for (on one of his campaigns), Patrick J. Buchanan.
2) A book that I've read more than once: The Lord Of The Rings Trilogy (but also including The Hobbit), by J.R.R. Tolkien. I have to admit that the subsequent times were inspired by the movies coming out. Also, believe it or not, The Thorn Birds, by Colleen McCullough…
3) A book I'd take to a deserted island: The Special Forces Survival Manual. And maybe The Joy Of Sex (For One). The Complete Works Of William Shakepeare might be good, too.
4) A book that made me laugh: I hate to cop out on this one, but anything by Dave Barry. Also, The Hitchhikers Guide To The Galaxy, by Douglas Adams. Read it many, many years ago and I remember it being hysterical. Tried to watch the movie once. It seemed to be one of those movies you have to be on drugs to enjoy. Maybe if I re-read it today, it wouldn’t be so funny.
5) A book that made me cry (or scared me to death): It was a book on the infiltration of the Roman Catholic priesthood and hierarchy by communists, freemasons and homosexuals, in order to bring the Church to her knees. Can’t recall the title off-hand. There was also a book about the life and supposed murder of Pope John Paul I (the September Pope) that was pretty scary. Powerful interests moved against him to effect his ‘accidental’ death after only 20-some odd days in office.
6) A book I wish I’d written: The Godfather … or is this asking for some clever fictitional title that my clever fictitional mind would create?
7) A book that should never have been written: The Communist Manifesto, Mein Kampf, My Lies (by Bill Klinton).
8) A book I'm currently reading: Mozart’s Letters, Mozart’s Life, by Robert Spaethling. Great translation showing sides of Wolfie that are incredible. His genius extended far beyond his musical abilities and composing skills. Like Steve Irwin, Flannery O’Connor, and Elvis Presley, the world lost him far too early. This book is a fascinating glimpse into his life that the great movie Amadeus* could not and did not show. It also shows how powerful of an influence his father Leopold had on him.
*There were several inaccuracies in that multi-Oscar winning film. (WHAT? Hollyweird taking liberties with the truth? I don’t believe it!) It’s still one of my favorite movies ever, though.
9) A book I’m planning to read: The Complete Works of Flannery O’Connor. Actually, it’d be a partial re-read. I enjoyed her works in college, and never finished reading her complete works. She injects a certain distinctive view of pre-Vatican II Catholicism (my particular brand), growing up in the mainly Protestant anti-Catholic South. Her writing style touched me in ways that few have – I liken Ange’s (Life In The Pumpkin Shell) fabulous writing to hers, even though the two write/wrote about mostly different subjects. While looking her up for this, I didn’t realize she lived near Ridgefield, CT, for a couple of years. I also lived there, very briefly. Flannery described herself as a "pigeon-toed only child with a receding chin and a you-leave-me-alone-or-I'll-bite-you complex." As a child she was in the local newspapers when she taught a chicken that she owned to walk backwards. She said, "That was the most exciting thing that ever happened to me. It's all been downhill from there." She lived a fascinating but all-too brief life – she left us due to hereditary lupus at age 39 in 1964. See: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flannery_O'Connor
10) Who I'm tagging next: No one.
1… Things that scare me
• Being a failure in life
• Being forgotten
• Eternal damnation
• Meeting people for the first time – I worry that my first impression isn’t the best impression – I can be rather shy and reserved at first.
• War and terrorism.
2…People who make/made me laugh
• Ange (Life In The Pumpkin Shell)
• Dave Barry
• Charles M. Schulz
• The Three Stooges
• Benny Hill. Two words: COMIC GENIUS. ‘nuff said…
• The Red Green Show
• Many of my friends and family.
3…Things I hate the most
• Hypocrites.
• Hate is such a strong word. How about dislike? I guess I hate the word hate.
• Whiners and complainers.
• Never seeming to complete anything I start.
• Can I come back to this one later?
• Not having enough time to do all of the things I’d like to be doing.
• War.
• When great people are taken from us too soon.
• When people judge. I know people automatically do, based on certain criteria or factors – it’s human nature – but often times we miss out by not being friends with someone who is different. Sometimes people who claim to be tolerant, really aren’t.
4…Things I don’t understand
• Politics.
• How the rich and powerful, regardless of political persuasion, control our lives. Freemasonry and the Illuminati and some of those conspiracy theories are awful intriguing.
• Myself.
• Women.
• Anything.
5…Things I’m doing right now
• Laying on a bunk in a plywood hooch in Bagram, Afghanistan.
• Putting off going to the latrine and getting ready to meet a girl at Country Music night.
• Talking to a friend in KCMO on IM (Jenna).
• ‘Chewing’ a Skoal wintergreen pouch.
• Digesting evening chow.
• Shaking my foot. (Nervous habit)
• Being part of the Vast Right-Wing Conspiracy.
6…Things I want to do before I die
• Travel more and more – Ireland, Vatican City (Rome), and more of Canada are on the top of my list. Mexico and Latin/South America would be nice, too.
• Have a beer or several with Ange and Tom and Ryan and whoever else wants to join us.
• Have a beer or several with some old friends from the 143rd Signal Battalion (3rd Armored Division, Frankfurt, Germany).
• Have a successful marriage, and raise some kids, if it’s God’s will.
• Retire to Germany, maybe.
7… Things I can do
• A myriad of things that United States Army Soldiers are expected to do: march, clean toilets, do KP, guard duty, first aid, use multiple personal and crew-served weapons systems, follow lawful orders, spit shine black leather boots to look like glass.
• Play and read music – I am learning the violin, my newest passion in life that was interrupted by going to Afghanistan. I grew up playing piano and trumpet, plus dabbled briefly with a Fender Stratocaster I bought while stationed in Germany.
• Curl. Like curling. The oh-so-Canadian-sport-invented-by-Scots. The Roaring Game. I am a member of USA Curling and the Kansas City Curling Club.
• I am actually the proverbial Jack-Of-All-Trades-Master-Of-None. *sigh* One of my sisters calls me a classic underachiever. She’s right.
• Write. I think.
8… Ways to describe my personality
• Cynical.
• Blunt.
• Honest.
• A true compassionate conservative.
* Like Ange, I hate describing myself.
9… Things I can’t do
• Be on time (for most non-military things, because I could be in big trouble with the Army, otherwise). I will be late for my own funeral.
• Fly to the moon.
• Ever tolerate abortion – which is simply the murdering of an inconvienent, unwanted human person, no matter how slickly or ‘scientifically’ the rhetoric is couched. We all started as a bunch of cells... don't bullshit yourself ... they are humans.
• Denounce my Roman Catholic Faith or my country.
• Ever be a MILF.
• Like Ange, I also cannot pick up men in bars.
10…Things I think you should listen to
• You? Who is ‘you’? I know things *I* should listen to...
• If you mean music, then Alison Krauss and Union Station, Elvis, Mozart …
• Jägermeister
• Dr. Michael Savage (The Savage Nation)
• For Catholics, EWTN is good.
• Don Cherry on Hockey Night In Canada.
11…Things you should never listen to
• Most politicians (especially whiny Dems who criticize everything and offer no new solutions of their own).
• Most of the mainstream media.
12…Things I’d like to learn
• Photography (including photo editing, etc.)
• More German, Spanish, Latin, Tagalog, and Visayan.
• Patience in certain things
• More about my 2000 year-old Catholic religion
• To not have such a short attention span and focus more – time management, too.
• To not be depressed so much – to not carry the weight of the world on my shoulders.
• To smile more and actually enjoy life
• How to count to 21 without being nekked
13…Favorite foods
• For the last year or so, anything the Army provides, including MREs and menus that repeat every 2 weeks.
• Anything hot, spicy, Mexican, Cajun, Italian, etc.
• Jägerschnitzel, or schnitzel in general, prepared a myriad of ways.
• I guess almost all German food…
• Filipino food (lumpia, pancit, anything adobo – nearly all Filipino food except balut and dinuguan).
• Bleu cheese and extra sharp cheddar. A lot of different cheeses, really. I behold the Power Of Cheese. And I only use real butter – margarine is one molecule away from being a plastic. Flies won’t go near it. And it doesn’t really decay … It truly is one of the worst things you can put in your body …
• Johnsonville Stadium Style Bratwurst
• Nutella Hazelnut/Chocolate spread
• Rachael Ray (That would make her a MILE, not a MILF? Well, she’s both actually… I am soooo bad. I’m going to hell for that one. I guess she has kids? I wrote this partially to see if you are still paying attention.)
• Cream Of Wheat
• Anchovies
• How long can my response to this one be? It’d be shorter to list foods I dislike … I am like a goat. I’ll eat almost anything. Once. And I usually like it.
14…Beverages I drink regularly
• For the last year in Afghanistan – bottled water, Gatorade, an occasional pop.
• Previous to that – filtered tap water, GUINNESS (from the draught can poured into a pint glass), Bailey’s Irish Cream, Asbach Uralt and Coke (a ‘Hütchen’), Jägermeister, German sweet white wines (Spätlese, Auslese, Eiswein), milk, Diet Mountain Dew. If I *have* to drink a domestic beer, it’s Bud Light.
15…TV Shows I watched as a kid
• The Muppet Show/Sesame Street/The Electric Company• The Price Is Right• Hee Haw, The Porter Waggoner Show
• The Gong Show (Chuck Barris, the Unknown Comic, Jamie Farr, J.P. Morgan, and Gene, Gene the Dancing Machine! – What a fabulous show on so many levels.)
• M*A*S*H*
• The Three Stooges – when my Mom and Dad would let me…
• Wonder Woman. Two words: Linda Carter. What a great pair of eyes she has …
• American Bandstand with the ageless Dick Clark
• The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson, Ed McMahon, and Doc Severinson, et al. Late-night TV was funny, then.
• All In The Family/Mork And Mindy/Laverne And Shirley/Happy Days/WKRP In Cinncinnati/The Love Boat/The Partridge Family/The Brady Bunch/Gilligan’s Island/Wrestling At The Chase/St. Louis Blues hockey and St. Louis Cardinals baseball and football…
• Family Ties/The Facts Of Life/Cheers/Night Court/Dif’rent Strokes/Masterpiece Theatre/The Paper Chase/Who’s The Boss?/Married With Children
1) A book that changed my life: Liturgical Shipwreck, by the late Michael Davies. He’s written many books, and this one is more of pamphlet, really. Much less than 100 pages. I read it once and decided that Traditional Roman Catholicism was for me. Latin Tridentine Mass …. Incense, Gregorian Chant, the whole nine yards. Mel Gibson and his father are with us, as well as a man I used to work for (on one of his campaigns), Patrick J. Buchanan.
2) A book that I've read more than once: The Lord Of The Rings Trilogy (but also including The Hobbit), by J.R.R. Tolkien. I have to admit that the subsequent times were inspired by the movies coming out. Also, believe it or not, The Thorn Birds, by Colleen McCullough…
3) A book I'd take to a deserted island: The Special Forces Survival Manual. And maybe The Joy Of Sex (For One). The Complete Works Of William Shakepeare might be good, too.
4) A book that made me laugh: I hate to cop out on this one, but anything by Dave Barry. Also, The Hitchhikers Guide To The Galaxy, by Douglas Adams. Read it many, many years ago and I remember it being hysterical. Tried to watch the movie once. It seemed to be one of those movies you have to be on drugs to enjoy. Maybe if I re-read it today, it wouldn’t be so funny.
5) A book that made me cry (or scared me to death): It was a book on the infiltration of the Roman Catholic priesthood and hierarchy by communists, freemasons and homosexuals, in order to bring the Church to her knees. Can’t recall the title off-hand. There was also a book about the life and supposed murder of Pope John Paul I (the September Pope) that was pretty scary. Powerful interests moved against him to effect his ‘accidental’ death after only 20-some odd days in office.
6) A book I wish I’d written: The Godfather … or is this asking for some clever fictitional title that my clever fictitional mind would create?
7) A book that should never have been written: The Communist Manifesto, Mein Kampf, My Lies (by Bill Klinton).
8) A book I'm currently reading: Mozart’s Letters, Mozart’s Life, by Robert Spaethling. Great translation showing sides of Wolfie that are incredible. His genius extended far beyond his musical abilities and composing skills. Like Steve Irwin, Flannery O’Connor, and Elvis Presley, the world lost him far too early. This book is a fascinating glimpse into his life that the great movie Amadeus* could not and did not show. It also shows how powerful of an influence his father Leopold had on him.
*There were several inaccuracies in that multi-Oscar winning film. (WHAT? Hollyweird taking liberties with the truth? I don’t believe it!) It’s still one of my favorite movies ever, though.
9) A book I’m planning to read: The Complete Works of Flannery O’Connor. Actually, it’d be a partial re-read. I enjoyed her works in college, and never finished reading her complete works. She injects a certain distinctive view of pre-Vatican II Catholicism (my particular brand), growing up in the mainly Protestant anti-Catholic South. Her writing style touched me in ways that few have – I liken Ange’s (Life In The Pumpkin Shell) fabulous writing to hers, even though the two write/wrote about mostly different subjects. While looking her up for this, I didn’t realize she lived near Ridgefield, CT, for a couple of years. I also lived there, very briefly. Flannery described herself as a "pigeon-toed only child with a receding chin and a you-leave-me-alone-or-I'll-bite-you complex." As a child she was in the local newspapers when she taught a chicken that she owned to walk backwards. She said, "That was the most exciting thing that ever happened to me. It's all been downhill from there." She lived a fascinating but all-too brief life – she left us due to hereditary lupus at age 39 in 1964. See: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flannery_O'Connor
10) Who I'm tagging next: No one.
1… Things that scare me
• Being a failure in life
• Being forgotten
• Eternal damnation
• Meeting people for the first time – I worry that my first impression isn’t the best impression – I can be rather shy and reserved at first.
• War and terrorism.
2…People who make/made me laugh
• Ange (Life In The Pumpkin Shell)
• Dave Barry
• Charles M. Schulz
• The Three Stooges
• Benny Hill. Two words: COMIC GENIUS. ‘nuff said…
• The Red Green Show
• Many of my friends and family.
3…Things I hate the most
• Hypocrites.
• Hate is such a strong word. How about dislike? I guess I hate the word hate.
• Whiners and complainers.
• Never seeming to complete anything I start.
• Can I come back to this one later?
• Not having enough time to do all of the things I’d like to be doing.
• War.
• When great people are taken from us too soon.
• When people judge. I know people automatically do, based on certain criteria or factors – it’s human nature – but often times we miss out by not being friends with someone who is different. Sometimes people who claim to be tolerant, really aren’t.
4…Things I don’t understand
• Politics.
• How the rich and powerful, regardless of political persuasion, control our lives. Freemasonry and the Illuminati and some of those conspiracy theories are awful intriguing.
• Myself.
• Women.
• Anything.
5…Things I’m doing right now
• Laying on a bunk in a plywood hooch in Bagram, Afghanistan.
• Putting off going to the latrine and getting ready to meet a girl at Country Music night.
• Talking to a friend in KCMO on IM (Jenna).
• ‘Chewing’ a Skoal wintergreen pouch.
• Digesting evening chow.
• Shaking my foot. (Nervous habit)
• Being part of the Vast Right-Wing Conspiracy.
6…Things I want to do before I die
• Travel more and more – Ireland, Vatican City (Rome), and more of Canada are on the top of my list. Mexico and Latin/South America would be nice, too.
• Have a beer or several with Ange and Tom and Ryan and whoever else wants to join us.
• Have a beer or several with some old friends from the 143rd Signal Battalion (3rd Armored Division, Frankfurt, Germany).
• Have a successful marriage, and raise some kids, if it’s God’s will.
• Retire to Germany, maybe.
7… Things I can do
• A myriad of things that United States Army Soldiers are expected to do: march, clean toilets, do KP, guard duty, first aid, use multiple personal and crew-served weapons systems, follow lawful orders, spit shine black leather boots to look like glass.
• Play and read music – I am learning the violin, my newest passion in life that was interrupted by going to Afghanistan. I grew up playing piano and trumpet, plus dabbled briefly with a Fender Stratocaster I bought while stationed in Germany.
• Curl. Like curling. The oh-so-Canadian-sport-invented-by-Scots. The Roaring Game. I am a member of USA Curling and the Kansas City Curling Club.
• I am actually the proverbial Jack-Of-All-Trades-Master-Of-None. *sigh* One of my sisters calls me a classic underachiever. She’s right.
• Write. I think.
8… Ways to describe my personality
• Cynical.
• Blunt.
• Honest.
• A true compassionate conservative.
* Like Ange, I hate describing myself.
9… Things I can’t do
• Be on time (for most non-military things, because I could be in big trouble with the Army, otherwise). I will be late for my own funeral.
• Fly to the moon.
• Ever tolerate abortion – which is simply the murdering of an inconvienent, unwanted human person, no matter how slickly or ‘scientifically’ the rhetoric is couched. We all started as a bunch of cells... don't bullshit yourself ... they are humans.
• Denounce my Roman Catholic Faith or my country.
• Ever be a MILF.
• Like Ange, I also cannot pick up men in bars.
10…Things I think you should listen to
• You? Who is ‘you’? I know things *I* should listen to...
• If you mean music, then Alison Krauss and Union Station, Elvis, Mozart …
• Jägermeister
• Dr. Michael Savage (The Savage Nation)
• For Catholics, EWTN is good.
• Don Cherry on Hockey Night In Canada.
11…Things you should never listen to
• Most politicians (especially whiny Dems who criticize everything and offer no new solutions of their own).
• Most of the mainstream media.
12…Things I’d like to learn
• Photography (including photo editing, etc.)
• More German, Spanish, Latin, Tagalog, and Visayan.
• Patience in certain things
• More about my 2000 year-old Catholic religion
• To not have such a short attention span and focus more – time management, too.
• To not be depressed so much – to not carry the weight of the world on my shoulders.
• To smile more and actually enjoy life
• How to count to 21 without being nekked
13…Favorite foods
• For the last year or so, anything the Army provides, including MREs and menus that repeat every 2 weeks.
• Anything hot, spicy, Mexican, Cajun, Italian, etc.
• Jägerschnitzel, or schnitzel in general, prepared a myriad of ways.
• I guess almost all German food…
• Filipino food (lumpia, pancit, anything adobo – nearly all Filipino food except balut and dinuguan).
• Bleu cheese and extra sharp cheddar. A lot of different cheeses, really. I behold the Power Of Cheese. And I only use real butter – margarine is one molecule away from being a plastic. Flies won’t go near it. And it doesn’t really decay … It truly is one of the worst things you can put in your body …
• Johnsonville Stadium Style Bratwurst
• Nutella Hazelnut/Chocolate spread
• Rachael Ray (That would make her a MILE, not a MILF? Well, she’s both actually… I am soooo bad. I’m going to hell for that one. I guess she has kids? I wrote this partially to see if you are still paying attention.)
• Cream Of Wheat
• Anchovies
• How long can my response to this one be? It’d be shorter to list foods I dislike … I am like a goat. I’ll eat almost anything. Once. And I usually like it.
14…Beverages I drink regularly
• For the last year in Afghanistan – bottled water, Gatorade, an occasional pop.
• Previous to that – filtered tap water, GUINNESS (from the draught can poured into a pint glass), Bailey’s Irish Cream, Asbach Uralt and Coke (a ‘Hütchen’), Jägermeister, German sweet white wines (Spätlese, Auslese, Eiswein), milk, Diet Mountain Dew. If I *have* to drink a domestic beer, it’s Bud Light.
15…TV Shows I watched as a kid
• The Muppet Show/Sesame Street/The Electric Company• The Price Is Right• Hee Haw, The Porter Waggoner Show
• The Gong Show (Chuck Barris, the Unknown Comic, Jamie Farr, J.P. Morgan, and Gene, Gene the Dancing Machine! – What a fabulous show on so many levels.)
• M*A*S*H*
• The Three Stooges – when my Mom and Dad would let me…
• Wonder Woman. Two words: Linda Carter. What a great pair of eyes she has …
• American Bandstand with the ageless Dick Clark
• The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson, Ed McMahon, and Doc Severinson, et al. Late-night TV was funny, then.
• All In The Family/Mork And Mindy/Laverne And Shirley/Happy Days/WKRP In Cinncinnati/The Love Boat/The Partridge Family/The Brady Bunch/Gilligan’s Island/Wrestling At The Chase/St. Louis Blues hockey and St. Louis Cardinals baseball and football…
• Family Ties/The Facts Of Life/Cheers/Night Court/Dif’rent Strokes/Masterpiece Theatre/The Paper Chase/Who’s The Boss?/Married With Children
Tuesday, September 19, 2006
THANK A SOLDIER
I didn't write this - but I thought it was pretty good ...
_________________________
You stay up for 16 hours.
He stays up for days on end.
_________________________
You take a warm shower to help you wake up.
He goes days or weeks without running water.
__________________________
You complain of a "headache", and call in sick.
He gets shot at as others are hit, and keeps moving forward.
__________________________
You put on your anti war/don't support the troops shirt, and go meet up with your friends.
He still fights for your right to wear that shirt.
__________________________
You make sure you're cell phone is in your pocket.
He clutches the cross hanging on his chain next to his dog tags.
__________________________
You talk trash about your "buddies" that aren't with you.
He knows he may not see some of his buddies again.
__________________________
You walk down the beach, staring at all the pretty girls.
He walks the streets, searching for insurgents and terrorists.
__________________________
You complain about how hot it is.
He wears his heavy gear, not daring to take off his helmet to wipe his brow.
__________________________
You go out to lunch, and complain because the restaurant got your order wrong.
He doesn't get to eat today.
__________________________
Your maid makes your bed and washes your clothes.
He wears the same things for weeks, but makes sure his weapons are clean.
__________________________
You go to the mall and get your hair redone.
He doesn't have time to brush his teeth today.
__________________________
You're angry because your class ran 5 minutes over.
He's told he will be held over an extra 3 months in a combat zone.
__________________________
You call your girlfriend and set a date for tonight.
He waits for the mail to see if there is a letter from home.
__________________________
You hug and kiss your wife, like you do every day.
He holds his letter close and smells his love's perfume.
__________________________
You roll your eyes as a baby cries.
He gets a letter with pictures of his new child, and wonders if they'll ever meet.
__________________________
You criticize your government or the president, and say that war never solves anything.
He sees the innocent tortured and killed by their own people and remembers why he is fighting.
__________________________
You hear the jokes about the war, and make fun of men like him.
He hears the gunfire, bombs and screams of the wounded.
__________________________
You see only what the media wants you to see.
He sees the broken bodies lying around him.
__________________________
You are asked to go to the store by your parents. You don't.
He does exactly what he is told.
__________________________
You stay at home and watch TV.
He takes whatever time he is given to call, write home, sleep, and eat.
__________________________
You crawl into your soft bed, with down pillows, and get comfortable.
He crawls under a tank for shade and a 5 minute nap, only to be woken by gunfire.
__________________________
You sit there and judge him, saying the world is probably a worse place because of men like him.
If only there were more men like him...
_________________________
You stay up for 16 hours.
He stays up for days on end.
_________________________
You take a warm shower to help you wake up.
He goes days or weeks without running water.
__________________________
You complain of a "headache", and call in sick.
He gets shot at as others are hit, and keeps moving forward.
__________________________
You put on your anti war/don't support the troops shirt, and go meet up with your friends.
He still fights for your right to wear that shirt.
__________________________
You make sure you're cell phone is in your pocket.
He clutches the cross hanging on his chain next to his dog tags.
__________________________
You talk trash about your "buddies" that aren't with you.
He knows he may not see some of his buddies again.
__________________________
You walk down the beach, staring at all the pretty girls.
He walks the streets, searching for insurgents and terrorists.
__________________________
You complain about how hot it is.
He wears his heavy gear, not daring to take off his helmet to wipe his brow.
__________________________
You go out to lunch, and complain because the restaurant got your order wrong.
He doesn't get to eat today.
__________________________
Your maid makes your bed and washes your clothes.
He wears the same things for weeks, but makes sure his weapons are clean.
__________________________
You go to the mall and get your hair redone.
He doesn't have time to brush his teeth today.
__________________________
You're angry because your class ran 5 minutes over.
He's told he will be held over an extra 3 months in a combat zone.
__________________________
You call your girlfriend and set a date for tonight.
He waits for the mail to see if there is a letter from home.
__________________________
You hug and kiss your wife, like you do every day.
He holds his letter close and smells his love's perfume.
__________________________
You roll your eyes as a baby cries.
He gets a letter with pictures of his new child, and wonders if they'll ever meet.
__________________________
You criticize your government or the president, and say that war never solves anything.
He sees the innocent tortured and killed by their own people and remembers why he is fighting.
__________________________
You hear the jokes about the war, and make fun of men like him.
He hears the gunfire, bombs and screams of the wounded.
__________________________
You see only what the media wants you to see.
He sees the broken bodies lying around him.
__________________________
You are asked to go to the store by your parents. You don't.
He does exactly what he is told.
__________________________
You stay at home and watch TV.
He takes whatever time he is given to call, write home, sleep, and eat.
__________________________
You crawl into your soft bed, with down pillows, and get comfortable.
He crawls under a tank for shade and a 5 minute nap, only to be woken by gunfire.
__________________________
You sit there and judge him, saying the world is probably a worse place because of men like him.
If only there were more men like him...
Monday, September 18, 2006
RIP SSG Howard and SFC Howard... KIA 08 SEP 06 in Kabul, Afghanistan
We lost two of the best in the suicide-bomber driven VBIED in Kabul, Afghanistan on 08 SEP 06. I'll let my photo on my flickr.com account speak for me here:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/violinsoldier/237698985/
Flickr.com is part of yahoo, and you can log in and leave comments there, too. I also have a lot of pictures of my year in Afghanistan there - feel free to look around.
I'll be leaving Afghanistan in about 26 days (on/about my birthday). I'll be glad to finally come home after a year in this country, but these memories will follow me to my grave. I'll do everything in my power to ensure that SSG Paul and SFC Howard will *never* be forgotten...
(Please visit my friend Hollis's blog, too - he recently wrote about the loss of these two fine soldiers. He can be found among my top friends on my MySpace home page - I am also violinsoldier there ...)
I originally posted this on 11 SEP 06 on MySpace.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/violinsoldier/237698985/
Flickr.com is part of yahoo, and you can log in and leave comments there, too. I also have a lot of pictures of my year in Afghanistan there - feel free to look around.
I'll be leaving Afghanistan in about 26 days (on/about my birthday). I'll be glad to finally come home after a year in this country, but these memories will follow me to my grave. I'll do everything in my power to ensure that SSG Paul and SFC Howard will *never* be forgotten...
(Please visit my friend Hollis's blog, too - he recently wrote about the loss of these two fine soldiers. He can be found among my top friends on my MySpace home page - I am also violinsoldier there ...)
I originally posted this on 11 SEP 06 on MySpace.
For the first time in a long time ...
For the first time in a long time, I played my violin, here in Afghanistan. Today. I made music. Just a couple of hours ago. In my own little way, and with my limited repertoire, I created something beautiful, in the midst of all this death and destruction. To some, on my $30 Chinese violin, it may not have been beautiful. It was to me. I bought a cheap one just to have one here. The mere presence of a violin comforts me here, in this lonely war. I hadn't touched it in months. The case had started to collect a nice coat of dust, like everything else here that sits for more than a few hours.
The occasion for playing, you ask? A friend of mine here, an Air Force sergeant, asked me casually last night if I knew anyone who either played the harmonica or fiddle.
Hmmm. I pondered that for a while before volunteering to teach her what I could. She's agreed to buy it, which is nice. I had often wondered what I would do with my violin, when I go off to yet another remote location here in Afghanistan, in only a few days. I am going to a couple of the fun places (Naray and Kamdesh) mentioned here:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060808/ap_on_re_as/afghan_northern_exposure
My problem is, I let things affect me too much. I haven't listened to music for weeks until last night, when my good friend Darby (Hollis, he's on my page) played a DVD of the Blue Man Group in the MWR. Bizarre, but I enjoyed it immensely especially when the guest singer, Tracy something, pulled out a violin during their version of The Who's Baba O'Riley (better known as Teenage Wasteland). I was thinking then how much I missed music. How I long for it, go mad for it, crave it. I do this to myself, you know. I have 39.12 gigs of music at my immediate disposal. 9,568 songs. (Plus 10 gigs I haven't added to my iTunes, yet.) A few seconds, and my aural senses can be filled with Mozart, Vivaldi, Metallica, Guns 'N Roses, Alison Krauss, Elvis Presley, Alan Jackson, or even Culture Club, if I really wanted. (I have several gigs of 80s music, alone, not to copious ampounts of mention country, classical and metal). I have so much great music, with so much more to acquire. I really need to weed some of it out, what I have now. (If I told you where I got it all, I'd have to kill you).
I just hadn't been in any musical mood for weeks, until now. Sure, a random song would pop into my head sometimes, and I would listen to that. With my musical memory, I really don't even need my iPod.
I don't know how long this musical mood will last. Probably just a few more days at least, until my first-ever pupil departs to go home on leave, and I depart to go to parts of Afghanistan that I'd rather not see. By all accounts, though, Nuristan (aka Kafiristan "Land Of The Infidels" (or Unbelievers)), one of the most unreachable parts of the world, is also one of the most breathtaking and scenic parts of our planet. I hope to be able to capture some of the beauty of the land and its people with my new camera, and eventually post them on my photosite (part of Yahoo!): http://www.flickr.com/photos/violinsoldier/
I've heard that this is truly The Land That Time Forgot.
I just checked my iTunes. The last song I listened to was "I Hate Myself For Loving You", by Joan Jett And The Blackhearts. July 4th, @ 0043. (Thats 12:43 AM). What was I doing then? I don't know. Don't remember. Like so many days here, they just run together. I always wear a watch, so I can always know the time. Do I always know the date or day of the week? Doesn't matter much. But why no music since then, when music is such an integral part of my life? I can't answer that, either.
I do know that it felt good, it felt nice, to help someone searching for musical knowledge. I enjoyed helping her, showing her how to hold the violin and the bow. Although I am not a maestro by any account, it felt good to impart some of my violin knowledge unto her. Like so many other things, it transported me to a more peaceful place and time. I really don't know how much of what I showed and told her actually sank into her brain. I'll find out tomorrow when she returns for round two. It was probably more beneficial to me. After she left, I loosened up a bit and started playing. I was amazed how a few tunes came back to me, although my fingers and brain were rusty. It also helped when nightfall came: my fingers knew better where to go in the dark, for some strange, inexplicable reason (I experienced this phenomenon the last times I played, months ago in Gardez. Kinda like a violin X-File).
I guess why I started this long missive-about-nothing, was that I keep having this feeling (almost like a premonition) that when I do a particular thing, it's God letting me do that one more time before the end. I hate to be so dark and depressing, but that's what I feel. I had no real intention of touching my friend the fiddle again before I came home in a couple months (and I can play my 'real' violin again, plus I am definitely going to upgrade, and buy a really nice one). I've always wanted to (just craving it), like longing for a lover's touch, but I never could bring myself to play it.
Next time, I hope it wont be so long between my musical interludes J
*I know this isn't my best writing, or much of anything important that I've said, but for some odd reason, I felt like writing this (it kept getting interrupted, too, so the flow is a little off. Sorry) ..
This was originally written on August 10th, 2006. Delays and other factors made it so I didn't have to go on the dangerous mission. I am now spending my last month in BAF, the safest place in Afghanistan. I have about 20 days to go... :)
The occasion for playing, you ask? A friend of mine here, an Air Force sergeant, asked me casually last night if I knew anyone who either played the harmonica or fiddle.
Hmmm. I pondered that for a while before volunteering to teach her what I could. She's agreed to buy it, which is nice. I had often wondered what I would do with my violin, when I go off to yet another remote location here in Afghanistan, in only a few days. I am going to a couple of the fun places (Naray and Kamdesh) mentioned here:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060808/ap_on_re_as/afghan_northern_exposure
My problem is, I let things affect me too much. I haven't listened to music for weeks until last night, when my good friend Darby (Hollis, he's on my page) played a DVD of the Blue Man Group in the MWR. Bizarre, but I enjoyed it immensely especially when the guest singer, Tracy something, pulled out a violin during their version of The Who's Baba O'Riley (better known as Teenage Wasteland). I was thinking then how much I missed music. How I long for it, go mad for it, crave it. I do this to myself, you know. I have 39.12 gigs of music at my immediate disposal. 9,568 songs. (Plus 10 gigs I haven't added to my iTunes, yet.) A few seconds, and my aural senses can be filled with Mozart, Vivaldi, Metallica, Guns 'N Roses, Alison Krauss, Elvis Presley, Alan Jackson, or even Culture Club, if I really wanted. (I have several gigs of 80s music, alone, not to copious ampounts of mention country, classical and metal). I have so much great music, with so much more to acquire. I really need to weed some of it out, what I have now. (If I told you where I got it all, I'd have to kill you).
I just hadn't been in any musical mood for weeks, until now. Sure, a random song would pop into my head sometimes, and I would listen to that. With my musical memory, I really don't even need my iPod.
I don't know how long this musical mood will last. Probably just a few more days at least, until my first-ever pupil departs to go home on leave, and I depart to go to parts of Afghanistan that I'd rather not see. By all accounts, though, Nuristan (aka Kafiristan "Land Of The Infidels" (or Unbelievers)), one of the most unreachable parts of the world, is also one of the most breathtaking and scenic parts of our planet. I hope to be able to capture some of the beauty of the land and its people with my new camera, and eventually post them on my photosite (part of Yahoo!): http://www.flickr.com/photos/violinsoldier/
I've heard that this is truly The Land That Time Forgot.
I just checked my iTunes. The last song I listened to was "I Hate Myself For Loving You", by Joan Jett And The Blackhearts. July 4th, @ 0043. (Thats 12:43 AM). What was I doing then? I don't know. Don't remember. Like so many days here, they just run together. I always wear a watch, so I can always know the time. Do I always know the date or day of the week? Doesn't matter much. But why no music since then, when music is such an integral part of my life? I can't answer that, either.
I do know that it felt good, it felt nice, to help someone searching for musical knowledge. I enjoyed helping her, showing her how to hold the violin and the bow. Although I am not a maestro by any account, it felt good to impart some of my violin knowledge unto her. Like so many other things, it transported me to a more peaceful place and time. I really don't know how much of what I showed and told her actually sank into her brain. I'll find out tomorrow when she returns for round two. It was probably more beneficial to me. After she left, I loosened up a bit and started playing. I was amazed how a few tunes came back to me, although my fingers and brain were rusty. It also helped when nightfall came: my fingers knew better where to go in the dark, for some strange, inexplicable reason (I experienced this phenomenon the last times I played, months ago in Gardez. Kinda like a violin X-File).
I guess why I started this long missive-about-nothing, was that I keep having this feeling (almost like a premonition) that when I do a particular thing, it's God letting me do that one more time before the end. I hate to be so dark and depressing, but that's what I feel. I had no real intention of touching my friend the fiddle again before I came home in a couple months (and I can play my 'real' violin again, plus I am definitely going to upgrade, and buy a really nice one). I've always wanted to (just craving it), like longing for a lover's touch, but I never could bring myself to play it.
Next time, I hope it wont be so long between my musical interludes J
*I know this isn't my best writing, or much of anything important that I've said, but for some odd reason, I felt like writing this (it kept getting interrupted, too, so the flow is a little off. Sorry) ..
This was originally written on August 10th, 2006. Delays and other factors made it so I didn't have to go on the dangerous mission. I am now spending my last month in BAF, the safest place in Afghanistan. I have about 20 days to go... :)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
