Sunday, October 15, 2006

sometimes it hits close to home

Spoiled and sheltered, I sit and watch the war in Iraq from the comforts of home. By now, we all know somebody who is there, or already been there. But how many of us have a real life connection to somebody who went, and didnt come back alive?
Literally, there have been a million or more tours of duty to the the war zones. By contrast, losses have been minimal. what is it now? nearing 3,000 dead on our part? or something like that. is that all? historically, this is fucking unreal. can we say we really feel the sacrifices some families are making? be honest. of course not. generally, a family can see their loved one off to war, and have as close to a aguarrantee of their live return as never before.

THIS has changed it for me.

yeah, every few weeks/months or so the paper carries the story of a local boy, from The OC, who isnt coming back. i read of his high school, where his hang outs were... all the familiar landmarks. but this one hit home.

No, i didnt know the man. but somebody else, a longtime friend of mine, did. they were cousins. he babysat him. his own sons played with him. he watched him grow up.
And together, he and his sons prayed over him, and bid farwell.

I guess all that war shit on TV is real.

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