Destiny disrupted

"Gossip, stories, jokes, rumors, historical impressions, religious mythologies, products, and other detritus of culture flow along with traders, travelers, and conquerors. Trade and travel routes thus function like capillaries, carrying civilizational blood. Societies permeated by a network of such capillaries are apt to become characters in one another's narratives, even if they disagree about who the good guys and the bad guys are."

from Destiny Disrupted by Tamim Ansary.

Quote from a book I'm currently reading about the history of Islam. Pretty good read. I like the way the author puts words together. I'm about to get to my favorite part where the Mongols come through raping and pillaging (OK, I did just read historical fiction about that so I'm intrigued to see how a Muslim historian describes those events).

Coalition forces have been in this country since 2001 and will be here until...pick a date. I wonder what lasting mark we will make on this country. How much of our detritus of culture will remain after we're gone? From a medical standpoint, we're providing care to local nationals that is light years ahead of what they've ever experienced. This is both a blessing and a curse. On the blessing side, we're able to save people who would have otherwise certainly died. On the curse side, we save them and leave them with chronic medical problems that require years and years of follow-on care, care that is likely not available. Hmmmmm, is that really saving them? Likewise, we try to teach them how to use the latest and greatest technology (OK, not latest and greatest by US standards, but certainly by local standards), with the knowledge that they don't possess the same technology. Or if they do, they probably don't have the service contracts to keep it running. Example, we're being asked to teach them how to read CTs. There is only one, yes 1, CT scanner in this country that is not owned by coalition forces. Perhaps if we spent more time on simple sanitation and preventive medicine issues...ahhh, but those decisions are not for me to make.

Switching topics. Got some spectacular pictures from home this week of the snowstorm in Virginia Beach. An unexpected snowstorm is one of those happenings that brings a smile to kid's faces like few other things. This also fits into my appreciation of seasons. The changes in the weather both mark the passage of time and give us more appreciation for the surprises of nature. Ruth's profile picture on Facebook is beautiful. Beautiful wife, beautiful kids. I wish I was there.

Day after day of sunny weather here. I'd settle for a snowstorm. That being said we did have thunderstorms and hail last week. Of course we also had more rocket attacks last week. I don't like those kinds of things falling from the sky.