Just Another Day

Today was the beginning of my second week here. This past week I began to settle into a preliminary groove. I am starting to get to know some of the personalities around the CSH. I have been introduced to some of the “drama” as well. But I believe that my daily testimony, and joy for what I do, should rub off on those around me. It seems that there has been a void or vacuum of leadership on the part of the surgeons in the CSH over the last few cycles. Now people are hungry for someone to fill that position and complete the picture of a high speed CSH. There just hasn’t been any driver at the proverbial wheel. Consider that changed as of now!
Its amazing how much the world longs for fellowship. Both religious and non-religious desire fellowship. Today a moderate sized group of us went, as is our custom on Sundays, to the Italian side of the FOB for lunch. I sat back and watched as we all ate, laughed, talked, and listened to one another. For 2 hours we all just “hung out”. Both enlisted and officers a like seemed to, for a brief period, forget that we were in a war zone. We talked about home, loved ones, music, movies, and of course “ragged on” one another relentlessly. It was also mentioned that the ICU was thinking of naming there new mascot….a camel spider that was caught in the ICU…any suggestions?
With full stomachs and smiles on our faces we loaded back up and went back to the other side. Once back at the CSH, we jumped out and scattered to each of our jobs again. But I think that each person that went to lunch was a little more confident in his or her abilities and purpose here. This is because they know the people they are working with, and who will be there with them when the proverbial excrement hits the rotating blades.
It is strange to think that this peaceful afternoon came after a hectic morning which began with a wakeup call to get the trauma team to the ED because there was a man there with bilateral GSW to the legs. After that case finished, we washed up and a few of us went to church then lunch…..just another day in Afghanistan. I feel so sorry for the Afghan people. They are killing themselves like we did in 1860. It is so sad. God please have mercy on us.