It is engrossing, amazing, and if I feel good, I will drop it off at the library as soon as I finish so others can enjoy it - well not enjoy it, but absorb it and its scary realities.
Long ass doctor's wait - my appointment was at 3:30, we got there at 3:03, and did not get taken to an exam room until almost 5. The only book with me? A Long Way Gone.
I decided to stop at chapter 20 for tonight - or at least right now, it'll probably suck me back in, damn him. The transformations he went through, from normal kid to terrified and terrifying teenager to kill on sight soldier (the government's army, not the rebels. The army was told the rebels killed their families, raped their sisters, burned their towns. And the rebels were told the same thing!) to almost-normal human being are amazing.
It was the last one that got me and made me think of something we need to do with the war in Iraq and our soldiers over there - at least a month in a psych ward afterwards, where they gradually rejoin American life - at least for those who showed signs of depression while in Iraq, hopefully for all.
Supporting the troops does not mean cutting their benefits. And they need psych help. I don't care that my uncle and his wife are "fine" there are children my age over there! Taught to kill, taught they don't know who the enemy is, I hope my friend who joined (next time I see her, I am so hitting her with a book) is stationed stateside, doing the boring paperwork that takes up most of the military's numbers. Or a corpsman, like my mom. Laughing her ass off after boot camp because she's snorting laughing gas.
According to Mom, everyone in bootcamp was religious. "I'm Muslim, Jewish, Christian, and Hindu. I have a very diverse family."
Why?
To get out, to get away.
We drove past one of the prisons by Shelby Farms today, and I saw the prison chapel - Christian, cross on top - and I said, "I bet everyone's saying they're Christians. Look at those windows! I'd lie just to get a glimpse."
That also led me to think of dogs as rehab tools for prisoners - Wickett would be perfect. Most prisoners are grown men. He adores grown men, even though they lack the soft boobage he snorgles in. (*slap face* upside down *love me*). I thought that because the Candanian geeese that like to harass him were outside the pond by the prison, not in the field behind our house.
He likes to chase them - it's a trip. Little black dot tearing across the field, he'll catch one one day.
I'm feeling better.
My last appointment was scary - we were walk-ins because I'd spent the previous one at the ER, scared it was a kidney stone. It wasn't.
But today, despite the wait and the vaginal exam - manual, thank god for small favors, it was good. He did not freak at our questions, and he upped my Lyrica to 100mg 3 times a day, instead of 75mg three times a day - hopefully it will work. That knife-lined corset - straight from the pre-Lyrica days. Ugh.
So mentally I feel better, and I've got pain meds and decent weather and a working bike.
Regarding A Long Way Gone, there is much mention of religion before and after he becomes a soldier. It seems Sierra Leone is Muslim, there was an imam at his name-day. However, there are mentions of the old ways - "May the spirits of the ancestors bless..."
And that got me thinking, maybe they have or had it right. Becky was watching Mulan today and I remembered the bit where her ancestors helped her, she prayed to her ancestors.
And then the Greeks, Romans, and Egyptians with their many, many gods, they had a better idea than we do as Christians, Muslims, or Jews.
One god? For all the followers of one religion? That's impossible.
Praying to a group set to watch your family and your family only, or a god for one area makes more sense, if anything in religion ever makes sense.
Just thoughts at 12:15 in the morning.
I figured out how to get Becky's songs on my mp3 player and I can't sleep (an hour and a half nap, what was I thinking?) so... whatever.
Next week, I hope the Daily Show and Colbert Report are new. I can't deal without my nightly television these 4 nights, it's got me all messed up.
Not that it takes much.
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