Day 237: Looking To The Future

A few days ago, as I was driving in downtown Herat, we passed the boy in the picture below. We came storming by him, five up-armored humvees, gun’s in the turrets, horns honking to move people out of the way in front of us. Driving downtown is always interesting because of all the objects that crowd the road in front of you--women in burkhas, cars driving by, motorcycles with three or more people on them, donkeys pulling carts, and an occasional camel. It is preferred to drive quickly to avoid becoming a target although you have to balance that speed with the risk of hitting something or worse someone.


Anyway, back to this boy. I am always curious about what others think about us, the coalition, as we drive by them in the streets. Of course, the most common reaction is a wave or a thumbs up (mostly by the kids) or just a dismissive look as yet another American convoy rolls past them. Rarely, we see someone who truly looks unhappy for us to be there and every once in a while someone (again, usually a kid) throws a rock at our vehicles (although this is preferred over the alternative). I’m not sure what to think of the boy in this particular picture. He has a pretty neutral look to him--not really happy to see us although he doesn’t look particularly upset that we are there either. For probably half his life he has gotten used to our noisy vehicles roaming his streets. The other half of his life was spent as a little boy watching the Taliban control and terrorize his city. Hopefully, as he grows he will come to appreciate what we are trying to do for him, his family and his country.


There is often criticism of how the war in Afghanistan is being fought. I have to admit that it hasn’t been run perfectly and mistakes have been and will probably continue to be made on our end. However, there is one thing that I am sure of...and that is that on a daily basis, coalition members are sacrificing and working to make Afghanistan a better place. We all get frustrated at the setbacks and the slow pace at which progress comes here. It is amazing the roadblocks on both the American and Afghan sides that impede progress. However, I can honestly say that the American, Spanish, and Italian troops I work with on a daily basis want the same thing. They want to leave Afghanistan a safer and better place than they found it. They want the people to finally find some measure of peace and some sense of order in their lives. They want this boy, to one day be able to find a good job, raise a family, and feel safe as he walks the streets of his Herat.