A Bit of Reality

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Sometimes the reality of what is going on around us catches up to me. Our day-to-day consists of waking at a reasonable hour, having a relaxing breakfast, a trip to the airport, flights around the country, and back to the crew house. Because of the 'security' situation, shall we say, we do not venture outside of our fifteen foot razor-wire topped walls. But, from time to time a little bit of reality is thrown up in front of my eyes.

The other day, our departure was delayed for a extra couple of minutes by a flight of two military helicopters that requested priority to land.

ATC: "Sir, confirm you are a Medivac flight?"

Pilot: "That's affirm. We are a Medivac."

ATC: "Do you require an ambulance?"

Pilot: "Yes."

The helicopters passed quickly in front of us, a small red cross on a white background prominent on the side door of the lead copter.

Just to let that sink in for a moment.....there can be debate about the what is going on here in Afghanistan. Are we supporting, preventing, interfering, taking advantage, destroying, rebuilding this country? Is it political, humanitarian, strategic, or just plain foolish? But there are lives being lost. It's as simple as that.

I remember reading some quote from Charles Manson. Something he said about killing a thousand people is less important to us than the killing of one. A thousand is a statistic, whereas one is an individual. I know people are dying from bullets and bombs around here, but they die by the dozen (13 dead from the bomb in downtown Kabul last week), but the soldier in that helicopter is an individual. That affects.

When we stop at an intersection, kids bang on the windows to sell us a pack of gum for a dollar. Burka clad women gesture for food for themselves or the child in their arms. Old men lean heavily on wooden canes, offering a cup of cheap pens. They are dozens of them, hundreds of them, thousands of them in this city. They are all statistics.

But, this works the other way as well. I can't help those that are statistics, because they will always exist as a statistic. But, I can help the individual. And I am.......I fly a dozen individuals into six individual airports for a few individual aid organizations to help a dozen, a hundred, a thousand individuals. Here, in Afghanistan, I get to change someone's world every day. How's that for a statistic.

Cheers,
Jay

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