Vaction Pictures!

Please view the following link for pictures of my Rest and Relaxation holiday:

http://picasaweb.google.com/daniele.massey/RandR2008?authkey=8BfMqdWCF1k

Man I wish I were back at home! It was fun.

So many random thoughts....

Maybe it's this ridiculously hot sun that is frying my brain cells and causing them to mush together. When I am afforded the opportunity I am glued to the news. Watching the nation change from my foxhole, constantly trying to make sense of my world and the world my daughter will grow up in. Everyone has their own window to look from. My window happens to be in the middle of a war.

I feel like an outsider from my own country, like I am on the outside looking in. Maybe, that is exactly what I am doing. I am in Iraq. I have been out of the States for about two years. I am only left to look at our rapidly changing country as if I am a foreigner. What I see: Maybe one of the best opportunities for our country since I have been alive to address race in a America for what it is. Its certainly not black and white, its complex, its how we treat one another, its the stereotypes that media perpetuates, its the great divide, that subject that so many walk on egg shells about. The democratic candidate race is bringing about this opportunity. I hope that we don't screw it up. I have traveled to a myriad of places throughout Europe, the Middle East and yes we are still the Greatest Nation. But the greatest nation has the greatest responsibility; domestically as well as the influence that we evoke throughout the world through our different mediums.

I love my country, but question it, I question it, but I'll fight for its safety. If you value something enough you'll question every aspect of it. Its what I know. We have some of the greatest systems in place while maintaining some of the worst. I understand that there will not be a utopia of the sorts. I do believe we have the greatest resources and a great people to have the most positive impact on the rest of the world. More importantly, I hope that we can move towards a more united America. An America that all of our ancestors dreamed of or at least some of them. Just a few random thoughts.

Sad Tomorrows for Present Day Choices

Are we trading sad tomorrows
in lieu of making hard present day choices?
Listen to the ancestors voices.
Lessons learned in histories pages.
We are still the most powerful and influential nation.
US Army Soldier now stares in the eyes of terrorist faces.
There is nothing new under this Mesopotamian sun.
The same smoke from different guns
while the same blood spills.
Only now take a seat and watch the burning oil fills.
Are we trading sad tomorrows in lieu of making hard present day choices?
Listen to the ancestors voices.
Lessons learned in histories pages.
We are still the Greatest Nation

Responsibility.

Quite an adventure it has been since our last encounter. In a matter of a week I went from sleeping in Baghdad and skipping rocks in the Tigris River and trying to avoid the surge of new mortar attacks to hanging out in Kuwait for 36 hours. Finally, arriving to my home in Vilseck Germany via a flight and a train ride through the beautiful and colorful country side of Bavaria to the exciting and warm embrace of my family. And it hit me, no more game face, its been a while; the intensity has been great...now what? We hung out for a bit at our home. I tried to quickly get acclimated to the change in environment. No helicopters, no mortars, no generators, no midnight knock at the door because of Red cross messages. However, sleeping in my own bed and a short opportunity to be me again.

We took a long drive from Germany through the Swiss Alps, mountains covered with snow, running streams of water and green everywhere! Quite the change from the desolate dry sands of the desert. Stayed the night in Lugano, Switzerland, the next day had lunch in Milan, Italy then continued our drive to Genoa, Italy. Where we started a bit of an adventure by taking a cruise through the W. Mediterranean. Starting in Italy with Naples and Sicily followed by Spain, Mallorca and Barcelona, to Tunisia, N. Africa, and lastly Marsille France. There was something peaceful about everyday, every breath was like a Buddhist Nirvana; blissful. The many different languages, the people, the drastic change of scenery in such a short period of time was just remarkable.

This life is rich. And I am learning everyday. Now I am back in Kuwait awaiting a flight to get back into "the fight".

Pictures to follow.