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Work 4 Peace,Hold All Life Sacred,Eliminate Violence! I am on my mobile version of the door-to-door, going town-to-town holding readings/gatherings/discussions of my book "But What Can I Do?" This is my often neglected blog mostly about my travels since 9/11 as I engage in dialogue and actions. It is steaming with my opinions, insights, analyses toward that end of holding all life sacred, dismantling the empire and eliminating violence while creating the society we want ALL to thrive in

Friday, July 11, 2008

half engaged...

A young womon is waiting for us at the truck, as Nancy and I cross the street. She’s smiling in hopeful wonderment and asks us what this all means, gesturing at the messages on the truck.

As she begins to talk, she tells us tomorrow was to be her wedding day. Her fiancée joined the service with his best friend, went to Iraq, came back last November: they set the date July 12th, for their wedding.

She found him with a rope around his neck, trying to climb a chair, getting ready to kill himself – for the second time since November.

He has spoken to her – and no one else – twice about what happened in Iraq. He has finally gotten an appointment to speak with someone in the military.

They have taken away his guns at last, she tells us with some relief. She thinks this means he won’t get sent back to combat.

She is heartbroken. But she is also strong. She knows they cannot go forward with the marriage until he has healed himself.

She says they were only half engaged unlike their best friends in the service who were 100% engaged, for her friend found out she was pregnant after the guys deployed to Iraq. He was shot in Iraq dragging her fiancé away from an explosion. Shot to death. Her fiancé lived.

But he doesn’t want to.

Homeland Security, Tucson style

I'm parked in the left-hand turn lane, waiting for the signal, when I notice the car in front of me has a silver "Home Land Security" badge stuck to the back next to the license plate, and on the side too.

I pull out my cell phone and start taking pictures - of the badge and the license plate. I'm pissed. Every single car I've seen pulled over by police along the Tucson highway have been occupied by short, brown people.

And I think we should start filming these "Homeland Security" people.

He has noticed my picture taking. He is staring at me, expressionless - I see his old white face and white hair, and large dark sunglasses reflected in his side-view mirror. I smile broadly, flash him the peace sign. Still no expression so I begin taking pics of his image in the mirror.

The light changes and we begin to go. He takes off much faster than I do but he slows down and waits for me to catch up. I see him take out his cell phone and face me - but I have to make a left turn to go to Nancy's house - he's in the far right lane and can't swing over in time to follow me.

HAHAHAHAHAHA! I've got his picture!

Snapping down the road...

I'm thru California and already almost to Phoenix before I get my first "fuck you"! Of course, it's a white guy in a pick-up truck.

I feel so lucky that it has not been horribly hot - except on the Grapevine, but even at the rest stop, I was able to be in the shade with a nice cool breeze!

There have been amazing, short lighting and torrential rain moments that end before anyone considers leaving the roadway. I've been able to do most of my driving thus far late at night and early in the morning; and most of my resting during the heat of the day.

I am resting beneath a large mesquite tree at the rest stop south of Phoenix, trying to avoid the little red ants that are busy racing thru the sand.

I glance over a few feet away, my attention grabbed by some motion on the ground. As I look, I see a lizard, creamy white like a cappuccino froth, with a brown stripe down it's back, long tail probably longer than it's body with circular brown rings, blending in so perfectly with sand and stones that I can't make her out unless she's on the move!

She comes very close, maybe 5 feet away as I hold my breath but I can't help smiling broadly. Somethings calls her suddenly and she races away, back toward the bushes.

I'll head for Tuscon and connecting with Nancy Hill, the awesome CP coordinator and fierce friend as soon as I finish resting. I look forward to catching up with her.