Conversation with Gary

Conversations with Gary.  Gary is one my oldest friends.  We go back to Junior High School which was a long time ago in a far away galaxy. 

Also, good to hear from you. If you want a prescription for despair count wait for a solution from the government.  Obama certainly can provide hope but the difficulty is providing solutions. That is the rub and it doesn't matter if it health care, energy, war or financial regulations. When it comes time for the solutions they all deal with the devil.


I have been busy over here and haven't followed the news. Although, I did read two columns by David Brooks on Afghanistan and the Health Care bill that I enjoyed. The mountains here loom over everything with peaks over 20,000 ft. When the wind is right you can hear the Gods laugh down on us. We have been doing battle on these plains for over 5000 years. I feel like I'm living a scene in the Iliad which I am. I believe this is what Nietzsche referred to as "eternal recurrence." The same scene and circumstances being played over again and again through history.

It is very easy from where I am on the ground. I go to work perform my task or mission which is small but necessary. Everything filters down to us here. You have the tougher task of trying to make some sense of it

I make three or four hospital visits a week which put Tiger Woods and all the celebrity driven nonsense out of my head. Where there is tragedy there are also hero's. For me it has been the medical staff in the Intensive Care Units. There perform at such a high level and they wear there humanity on their sleeve.

I'm looking forward to the Christmas movies. I am a sap and sentimentalist. We have A Wonderful Life and Holiday Inn. Last night we had a packed house for Talladega Nights with Will Ferrell. Laughter is good medicine here.

eternal recurrence

There is war going on over here. My B-hut and all the other huts all have bunkers right next to them. I bought a can of orange spray paint went inside of the hut and painted "RESERVED FOR MIKE GEARY"

A couple of weeks ago we had a short mortar attack. The sound of rockets headed in your direction leaves an indelible impression on your brain. My battle gear is right by the bed for quick access.

We are confined to base which is surrounded by the Hindu Kush mountains. They are huge, forboding and a bit magical. I am working my way through "The Great Game" which I thoroughly enjoy. At times I think you can hear the Gods laughing at us from the peaks. It seems we are replaying the same historical scene over and over again.



My boss is an ex-Sgt Major in the Marines. He compliments the soldiers by calling them trigger pulling killers. Some of them are and some don't look old enough to drive. Some are exhausted after multiple deployments having fought in Iraq and now Afghanistan. For them the war goes on and on.

afghanistan

The first thing you notice at Bagram Air Base in Afghanistan is there war going on. There are troops from Poland, France, Serbia, New Zealand but all the heavy lifting and fighting is done by the Americans. Today December 14 the weather is cool and nice with plenty of sun. The sound of diesel engines runs 24/7 as does the base. We live in B-Huts (shacks) there are eight of us separated by thin plywood. The place has all the warmth and appeal an abandoned Soviet camp can bring. I believe there are 53 days to the Super Bowl and eleven until Christmas. I should be getting back to Montana the end of March.