Okay, seriously now...
So today was the 4th. It's about 10pm here in Kandahar, Afghanistan, which makes that 10:30 am on the west coast, and 1:30pm on the east coast. Do the math yourself from now on! Ha ha... anyway, today wasn't that exciting. The fourth has always been my favorite holiday. Not sure how many of you knew that, but despite how much I dislike the military, I've always been very patriotic. I love our anthem, I love our songs, our colors, our freedom, and our general way of life as Americans. One of my favorite memories was band day in September 2001. We had like 20 different high schools worth of marching bands standing on the field at the University of Delaware football stadium during halftime, and together we played a flawless "God Bless the USA". It was a week after 9/11, and I don't think a single person went to a concession stand during that halftime show. It was completely silent, and by the end of the song, the entire stadium was on their feet. I cried, right there on the field. Moments like that - blatant displays of love and patriotism, make everything worth it. Remembering those times make wearing the flag on my right shoulder the honor that it is, and the job worth dealing with.
This morning on Kandahar, there was a post-wide 10k walk/run to celebrate. I was surprised to see not only American soldiers and civilians, but also British soldiers, Canadian soldiers, and even Dutch soldiers running with us, celebrating our freedom alongside us. Maybe they were just going to run, maybe not, but I think that a lot of people from our allied countries have enormous respect for us as a nation. It warms the heart.
Overall, though, the day was pretty normal. We went to work for a couple hours, then went back to the rooms to relax until a company barbecue this afternoon. Not gonna lie, the food was terrible, but hey - at least they tried.
No fireworks this fourth of July. At least... I hope not. The fireworks we'd get out here aren't the kind I want to see! Ha ha. Oh well. Tomorrow is back to business as usual - keep an eye out for Danielle posting about the family or whatever is on her mind, as well.
-Chris
Yay! You guys are keeping a blog! :) That's cool that you're as patriotic as you are. I really love the 4th too. We've had some good opportunities to visit historical places and it has brought home to me how much this country has been in God's hands. See my blog post from yesterday. I really feel close to the stories of the Revolutionary War. Yesterday we sang the Star Spangled Banner in RS and it got to me. It usually kinda does, even at a ball game - especially if people start singing it. We're in a great country, even with it's failings it has some good stuff!
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