Innocence and Consequence
by: Robert Bruns 02.06.2010 No Comments »Chalking today up to the memoirs. A cold, damp, miserable day in Iraq –
Geography is a curious thing. In Josh Ritter’s Live from Vicar Street DVD, he explains the first time he went to Ireland. He was living in New York, and It was cheaper for him to fly to Ireland rather than back home to Idaho. He’s gained a tremendous fan base in Ireland, exemplified by the beautiful gal singing along at the top of her lungs with ‘Kathleen’ in the front row. On the Hello Starling album, the song ‘California’ has an irony in the lyrics, ‘ill be back when I’m good and ready, California doesn’t seem to think I’m ready.’ How can a lad from Idaho ‘make it’ in California — as the psychology between these states is quite different, and the song insinuates.
One day I’ll look back and understand and appreciate the surroundings accompanying this prose. No matter how fast I run to get things done, the job will never be finished, there is no home, at least for now. I’ll still have the couple miles or so of wiggle room for the time being; a captive of high walls, barbed wire, and a clash of civilizations.
What was said on the Alcatraz tour; The rock was such a tough place to be because it was right off the heart of San Francisco, so the inmates could see the free world, so close yet so far, they knew precisely what they were missing.
Similar circumstances exist for a person deployed. You can see the world through the lens of web browser, you can see what you’re missing, but you can’t physically interact.
Today I whip out my favorite snow albums for the cold windy Baghdad rain…I don’t know much about the snow, but the boys from Travis who produced The Man Who and Sondre Lerche who’s album Two Way Monologue were written from the perspectives of the Scotts and Norwegians respectively. My feet can feel the Wet Ground, literally and figuratively.Â
I’ve braved the gas pumps in International Falls in -30 degree weather, but I knew the heater wasn’t far away. When it’s cold here, sometime there isn’t escape. The morning greets you with a cold shower, the building I work in has a lovely draft that chills you to the bone. You try to escape back to your sleeping area to get a heat blast only to discover the power has gone out. By the time you make this discovery, you’ve already drenched your feet in 3-4 unavoidable puddles of water giving your socks that o’ so wonderful soggy feeling.
In the infinite pursuit of self knowledge, I’ve learned to trust myself, respect my family, throw reckless abandonment aside for a better life. I’m glad I’ve had these miserable days to test my zen and help me put life into perspective.
