The slogan goes: “For those who fought for it, freedom has a flavor the protected will never know.”
I’ve loved that slogan since I joined the military in 1986 but there is now a Landry corollary: “For those who wait for their family members to return, freedom has a fear the rest will never understand.”
The phone call I got today went like the:
Me: “Hello”
Debbie: “I just want you to know that I’m okay. Go look at the news. I can’t talk right now but I’m okay.”
Me: “Huh, what happened? Is everyone alright?”
Debbie: “We have a couple of injuries but I can’t talk right now, I’m okay. Gotta go, bye.”
Me: “^%&^*(&$((*&%%#$$#(*&#$%&%@()*%&$#(*&!!~!%#&$&(*{“
I get all of my news online because I hate American Television’s liberal slant on everything and I’m a computer guy so that’s were I went. What I found was just a short blob about a bomb injuring 50 people at the Marriott hotel in Islamabad. This was from a Pakistani newspaper located in Islamabad. Two hours later, it’s all over the news that the worst suicide bombing in Pakistani history has occurred today and over 55 people are dead. Debbie was about 2 miles from the bomb site and they felt the concussion there. Her house is less than a mile from the bomb site but I don’t think she went there tonight.
There are just so many things that go through your mind when you get that call. Of course, I was so very thankful that God protected her from this attack and that she called because I would have been an absolute basket case if she hadn’t. Of course, she still has a long way to go yet and the militant factions in country have threatened several times recently that if they cannot be safe in their homes, no one in Pakistan will be. So we just pray and wait. Thank you all for your prayers and the kind words so many of you have sent.
I was camping one year with no cellular service when Carl was tdy in Turkey. His hotel was bombed-the room right below his was gone. Because I had no service, I did not get the message from him saying “I’m fine-go on with your camping trip” until I was on my way home 2 days later. Talk about a heart attack. Which is harder… being the one at home or the one away? Toss up.