Last night, a friend told me that there’s a war going on and many people around her don’t seem to notice. It’s easy to ignore. People get tired of hearing the rhetoric, the political debate. After so many years, people sometimes turn their attention to other things. It hurts less. They call upon consumerism to comfort them. They let the busy mundane details of everyday life distract them. It’s easier.
I can’t do that. While war is an abstract idea for many in this country, it is all too real to others. It’s all too real to me.
I’m not just talking like this because my husband is deployed to Afghanistan. Last night, I started trying to list off the friends I have who are serving in Iraq. I’ve not kept up with all of my Chaplain Officer Basic classmates, but I can think of at least eight good friends who are serving as Chaplains in Iraq or Afghanistan right now. I’m sure there are more I just haven’t heard from for a while. That’s at least eight men and women I trained with, laughed with, ate with only a few months ago. And now they’re in a war zone caring for our soldiers, doing what we were taught to do.
Don’t let everyday life distract you. At least, for today, pray for my friends. Pray for my husband. And pray for the families that are waiting for them to come home.
I think it is much easier to ignore when you have no personal attachment to the people who are serving. In the World Wars everyone knew someone serving and it was much more personal.
My mom is always giving me updates of the guys I went to school with that are serving. When you grow up in a town between two major military bases, you know a lot of military. It really hit me how real this is when I found out about my classmate from the 5th grade who had died on Easter this year. I had no clue he had attended West Point Prep and West Point with my cousin. They had been friends, I didn’t know that, and now he is gone. At 27, gone. We weren’t close, but it saddens me, makes things all too real.
Thanks for the post.
Comment by hillery — September 27, 2007 @ 9:06 am
Right on, Amy.
Comment by Patti N — September 27, 2007 @ 9:32 am
Praying.
Comment by Rachel — September 27, 2007 @ 11:30 am
We don’t have any close friends/family who are “over there”, none the less, we’re a couple of grateful veterans who never forgot what it’s like to wear the uniform and serve our country. There’s millions of us out here praying Amy…don’t ever doubt it!
Comment by Old Woman Marine — September 27, 2007 @ 5:21 pm
One of my friends was in Iraq over the summer, not entirely sure why to be honest. Working for a private security firm I think, but its amazing what a different perspective you acquire when its you and yours.
I’ve lost track of the point of this war, i don’t think there ever was one in the first place
Comment by james — October 2, 2007 @ 4:10 am
Amy – I’m praying for you and Joel and all the other soldiers and chaplains.
Comment by Laura — October 5, 2007 @ 9:57 pm