A Black Boot, a Red Bench, and a Aeroplane sticker

You may be wondering what these three things have in common. It is not something that is obvious and it is not something that any one reading would understand. It is something that only I understand the connections.

Each of these are things that I see and remind me of the simple things in life. In this open field lays a black boot that has been there for years. Hanging on a tree by two metal chain links is this bright red bench swing that's vibrancy has caught my attention due to the dullness of winter. Someone has placed an aero plane sticker on the ceiling above the stairs at my church. Every time I walk down the steps I look up and chuckle.

These three things remind me of the simplicity of life.

On another note that is completely unrelated - Real Time with Bill Maher has started back - and I am super excited.

Charlie Wilson

My favorite congressman of all time has passed away. Charlie Wilson passed away earlier today. Wilson is best known for getting majority of the funding for the covert operation in Afghanistan. While Wilson was known as "Good Time Charlie" on the Hill, while he was in office, he got work done. If anyone has seen or read Charlie Wilson's War then you would be familar with the wild lifestyle that Wilson led, but he was honest with his constituents and he was effective.

Wilson is the main reason for my interest in Afghanistan and always will be my favorite Congressman.

RIP Charlie Wilson

The Night That the War Began

From some reason I have been thinking about the night that the War in Iraq began. I was in 5th grade, and I can remember knowing that day that then President Bush was going to declare war. I sat that night watching the TV, waiting for his announcement, but my mom finally made me go to bed.

I woke up the next morning and watched the news as I always did - even in 5th grade I was nerdy. The footage of the bombings in Iraq are still something that are embedded into my mind. I can remember the buzz at school the next day, none of us were really sure about what was going on.

Why this has been on my mind lately, I'm not sure. It is definitely something that I have been thinking about a lot. Maybe it is because I now know people that have fought, are fighting, or will fight in either Iraq or Afghanistan. Maybe it's because of my growing awareness of the Middle East. Either way - I vividly remember the night that the war began.