Emails From Iraq

I've decided to write this column in support of our brothers and sisters having to serve in Iraq. It will be an ongoing piece of the situation in Iraq as seen through the eyes of one soldier by the name of Keith. Pagans United (www.pagansunited.com) began a project to send packages to our brothers and sisters in Iraq and in doing so we came across Keith who corresponds with us daily about the life and the people serving in Iraq. You will get an inside track of what it is like, the thoughts that run through his mind and how his spirituality as a Pagan works with his job as a Soldier at war. Along with his emails, we will be posting pictures so that you can see, as well as, hear what it is really like there and how this one soldier feels about our involvement there and about the happenings here at home. This first one, we received today and it really touched many of us. I'll let you decide for yourself. I will have a section on our forum for comments and messages to the troops in Iraq if you care to post your thoughts.

From: "Keith"
Date: Sun May 15, 2005 7:33 am
Subject: From Baghdad....Saturday Night fire gatherings

Sunday here, its been pretty quiet on my end, though next week and the week after that we have more than a couple of missions to line up and conduct. Ive spent the last week or two couped up in an office, not exactly my favorite spot. Bu to make the best of it, I study and network amongst pagan friends to learn what I can and pursue where I must. The plants Ive been tending to have been growing pretty well though its a battle to keep them watered in this heat. Still, its a small daily ritual and evenign ritual to give them life bearing water and watch over them like an anxious parent. To see thier growth as each day passes is an experience in itself, and I try to spend at least a few minutes each day contemplating that. Last night my friends and I sat down for a weekly saturday night gathering. We played music deep into the night and had a small fire built inside an old bbq grill. The mood was quiet mostly. We shared smokes and jokes. Mostly we stared into the fire each with thier own thoughts. Our co workers would drift in and out, the latest news or gossip would be spread. Some of it useful, some of it hopeful, alot of it just plain silly stupid. Music played from tinney sounding speakers off of john greenes laptop. Played a little country ballads, a little indy music, just quiet mellow stuff. For awhile Sean had his guitar out practicing away. Good friend he is, terrible room mate though. Still he's always entertaining and even willing to learn some of the old classic rock I do enjoy. This time he was working on Hotel California from the Eagles. So we sat in silence as he worked his way through the song, sometimes stumbling through chords, but we all enjoyed it. It was something to make us think on different times. He'd stop for a moment thinking every one had stopped listening to him, but of course the minute he quit, we started throwing rocks at him and yelled for him to play more (Im infamous for that...) it kinda took us somewhere else besides this dusty land. As the night wore on, I got sleepy, and headed off to bed. IT was an unwinding point for a long week, but still only a tease for some real relaxing. At least a few minutes were had though and that was worth it. Trying to sleep though, I tossed and turned and wrestled with various thoughts drifting through my mind. FInally my eyes bleary and dry with sleepiness, I drifted off perhaps at one in the morning, waking up a few hours later to do it all again. Yup folks this is the weekend to us. Not really a day off, but at least a couple of hours of being together in an environment that didnt require us to be all rough and tough. Some of us are making plans to get out. At least one friend plans to go back to bein a pot smokin hippy which I can relate to heh heh heh. Hey we are human out here. No one here is a machine and everyone has a hope or dream when its all done. Anyways, thats my saturday night. Thanks for peekin in on my world. Blessings on your Spirits, Winterwolf More on May 15 >>