Eye of the Warrior
Our son, Steve, is scheduled to head over-seas, again. The first time was too much; the second is worse. Nevertheless, he reassured me with, "Dad, I was born to be a soldier." I have reflected long and hard on that commitment, his resolve, and his confidence in what he is doing. I cannot help but respect the man he has become and that Steve's life is his to choose. We are proud of him!
I was beyond lucky to be able to spend a few days with Steve, just the two of us, camping at Canyon de Chelly (pronounced "shay" for some reason), sitting out under the North Star, talking, listening to silence, and philosophizing a little about the meaning of it all. We figured it all out! Steve is also interested in photography and "has a good eye" so I spent some time coaching him in the use of a camera that his grandpa gave him. It was time well spent, father and son, man and boy, but really just two men gathered around a campfire, telling stories. Sublime.
I cannot stop thinking about his impending departure. I cannot go, although I would change places with him in a heartbeat. Not because I am gung-ho, but because I would do anything to protect him. Anything. Like most parents. It is helpless to sit at home and wait for the return of those we send. And I began to realize that the men and women we deploy abroad to protect our nation's interests, represent the best of our hopes and aspirations for the future of our world. Whatever your view of politics or the specifics of particular regional conflicts, please never forget these youngsters who have chosen to serve. At the same time, let us yearn for peace, the return of our children, and the beating of swords into plowshares.
I wanted to share a picture from our brief visit to the canyon. One that I caught during a hike down into the depths on the way to what is known as the White House, ruins of a time long past. Along the trail I saw this interesting pattern in the rock; Eye of the Warrior captures a lot of what I am feeling as Steve stands ready to do his duty, a stranger in a strange land. I had originally envisioned rendering it as a black and white, but then I decided to let the colors of the red rock bleed through, and hope that it is a fitting tribute to the courage and determination of Steve and his brothers in arms. I apologize for the melancholy tone of this posting, but I just couldn't help it.
Eye of the Warrior