Live Life Like a Dog

Yesterday we had a “Coms Blackout” so I was not able to post a blog. A Coms Blackout is when they shut down all of the phones and the internet. They do this whenever a service member dies in Afghanistan. The purpose is so the military can personally inform the family instead if the family receiving the news in an email or a phone call. So for future references, if I do not write a post for a day it is probably because of the blackout. If I go two days without a post then we may have a problem. Please pray for the service member’s family who soon be receiving some very sad news.

I have a good friend from medical school that just so happens to be an excellent General Surgeon in the Air Force. He sent me a great email today. I distilled it down to its key message. It is about a boy and his dying dog and why dogs live such short lives.

"People are born so that they can learn how to live a good life -- like loving everybody all the time and being nice, right?" The six-year-old continued, "Well, dogs already know how to do that, so they don't have to stay as long."

Live simply.
Love generously.
Care deeply.
Speak kindly.

What a great message.

My wife and children are staying at my brother’s house. I believe the fires are under control in the immediate area where I live. I will keep you posted.

Today was not a very exciting day. We did a little vehicle maintenance. As you may know, our team is composed of relatively high ranking members so we unfortunately are left to do all of the less-then-glamorous tasks. I am posting a picture of the highest paid and best trained car washer in all of Afghanistan. A Lieutenant Colonel in the Air Force with 20 years of practicing medicine under his belt and he is power washing a HUMVEE in Kabul, Afghanistan. It just goes to show what a great team I have.

Another good friend of mine sent me a care package today. Her name is Dani and her husband’s name is Mark they both live in California but they are currently in New York on vacation. She sent me a ton of candy, poker chips, a statue of liberty hat, and silly string. I hopefully will not be disarming any trip wires any time soon so the silly string should only be for fun.

I actually met Dani when I was in Iraq in 2003. She was an embedded reporter and she did a number of articles on our unit. I had a front page article in the Ventura County Times. My wife told me great story about when she was bought 10 copies of the paper as a souvenir. A young boy that was selling the paper asked her inquisitively why she was buying so many. She proudly pointed to the picture on the front page and replied, “Becasue this is my husband!” Ahhh, my 15 minutes of fame was so sweet.

Dani ended up coming home from Iraq early and she was able to contact my wife. They struck up a great friendship that continues today. Not only is Dani a great writer but she is also an accomplished painter and just an all around great person.

I provided a link to her an article she wrote summarizing her experience during the deployment.

http://www.danidodge.com/journalism/vc/iraq/firstperson1.html

Thanks for reading.