Down South

Writing from southern Afghanistan. I wrote in my journal that the area is just a sun-blasted desert (southern Nevada) dotted with small villages. I don't know how people survive here. This area is much more remote than the north-- very small mud villages with roads that are nothing more than two-tracks through the desert. I flew here with a layover at a huge base to the northwest of my location. I stayed in transient tents from about 3am until 7am, ate breakfast, and then sat around at the air terminal for about 5 hours. I didn't even go to the main part of base because I would have had to drag around my weapons, body armor and two small packs-- about 80 pounds of gear. Better to just sit and wait, so I read a bad novel.

 

The FOB I am at now isn't bad. Let me enumerate the positives: there isn't much direct or indirect combat in this area (the area is so vast that the Taliban just avoid US forces), I am quartered in a concrete building, the base has an observation blimp, I am away from my Army commander and his command sergeant major, I have lots of free time, the gym isn't bad.

 

The negatives are minor-- pee tubes instead of urinals (I don't mind them except they stink), and burnout cans instead of plumbed toilets. The medic here also annoys me.

 

I am scheduled to leave in a few days but everyone says I will be here longer because flights are always canceled to this place. We will see. I do know that I will not have to come down here again.

 

For now I'm just practicing keeping it day-to-day. I am finding that if I can find contentment in the moment, regardless of where I am or what I'm doing, it makes the day go by smoothly and I don't feel the worst effects of sadness, fear, or despair gnawing at me. I can keep that stuff at bay by just finding ways to enjoy the moment, even here in this horrible corner of southwest Asia.

 

OK. Now I'm off to find something else to enjoy!