When the war in Afghanistan began I had read maybe three articles about that country in Reader's Digest and U.S. News and World Report. I may also have realized that that gorgeous girl, whose photo National Geographic kept trotting out, was from there. Know thy enemy may be one reason that attempts at enriching our national understanding of the culture of Afghanistan have slowed down now that we are in the slog of war. It is hard to think of such simple people giving us such trouble--but isn't that what I learned about Afghanistan from those three articles and a picture? We were so proud of the way they fought the Russians and now we are the Russians.
I'd rather think about the pictures that we saw at the beginning--the poppy fields, the smiling girls, the tribal leaders. I wish I knew more about the whys and wherefores of all the things that puzzle me. I want to know if I'd offend Afghan men by wearing their Pakol hat. Is it wrong to just grab a hat and go?
Life is a full time job.
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