A Conversation With Reality

Last night I got a chance to visit with a fraternity brother of mine. He is now a Major in the United States Army. He popped open his laptop and proceeded to show me picture after picture of Iraq, and Afghanistan. He has done several tours of duty over there and told me story after story of how it was in those areas. He showed me pictures of mud huts that some of these countryman had as houses. He showed me pictures of "hotels". They were nothing but concrete walls and floors with paint slopped on part of the walls. He had many pictures of his troops and ceremonies of fallen troops. He also showed me pictures of the beautiful landscapes of this region. If this doesn't get some kind of emotion stirred up in you, I don't know what would.

I asked him questions concerning not only the war, but simple things like what the food and weather were like. I must have looked like a little kid learning about a new video game or something. We talked for two hours and it seemed like ten minutes. It was the first time I have ever got a chance to talk to a serviceman about any details concerning the war.

Talk about feeling like a "speck" on this Earth! I mean, this guy is out there laying his life on the line day after day, and I am teaching. I love teaching, but when you talk to someone like this it sure makes your job seem a little less important. To top it off, he is just a normal guy. When I looked at him I still saw that kid I went to college with. When I listened to him I knew he was different inside and I knew that he could see the big picture like most of us can't.

We talked about many things involving the military. We talked about the Pat Tillman incident. We talked about what would happen if we pulled out of Iraq right now. We talked about what we could do different over there, and what we should do for the kids on the front lines. Some of them obviously have "baggage" and we should have a way to deal with it.

Talking to him sure made me appreciate what we have here, and all the armed forces that defend what we have here. He is now on his way to learn Arabic. To my friend, may you always come back from duty healthy, always be appreciated, and always hold your head up with pride.