Today was my first taste of Afghanistan, and I mean that both literally and figuratively.
Here’s why:
At work we produce a weekly magazine (I don’t personally, but another office does) and we have a contract with an Afghan man whose company prints these magazines and distributes them to bases throughout Afghanistan. I met the man today when he brought a van load of Afghan food to share with us and welcome all of us new folk to his country. And that’s how I had my first taste of Afghanistan, literally.
The food was good, it reminded me a lot of Turkish food. You had your big pieces of pita bread with rice and chicken mixed with different vegetables. There was barbecued lamb and some other meat. The guy went all out. It was a feast.
It was also a chance for me to have my first taste of Afghanistan, figuratively. One of my favorite parts of traveling is getting to meet people from different backgrounds and nationalities. It’s so interesting and it really opens your eyes to the world. Of course, here it’s a bit different. I don’t know how often I’ll be able to leave the base and interact with Afghans, but I promise you the Afghan people are not what many Americans imagine them to be. I don’t know this to be true, exactly, but I am almost sure of the fact that most Afghans are very caring, hospitable people. This guy didn’t prove otherwise.
What stuck with me most today was when the man spoke for a bit to welcome us to his country. I can’t remember word for word what he said exactly, but he mentioned how thankful he was for us. And by us, I mean all Americans and other nationalities that are here. He said that he knew we were leaving the safety of our homes and leaving our families behind to help fight for his country to have a better future. And that meant a lot to me. It meant a lot to me not because I’m out there risking my life, I’m not, but because hearing that come out of the mouth of an Afghan man goes to show that what we are doing here is right.
It’s so easy to sit back in the comfort of our American homes and say “it’s not our fight, what are we doing, let’s leave,” but when you look into the eyes of someone like this Afghan man and you understand that he is truly thankful for what our country is doing, you realize it’s worth it to be here.
And it is. I don’t know how long we’ll be here, but I hope we don’t leave until the work is done. The Afghan people deserve it.
