seldon

So my cousing doug is in Baghdad. He signed up for the army after high school, after deciding the other options weren't for him. like most people I grew up with, the army was always an easy way to find direction, some good money for school, and some discipline in an unordered life. There was never really any thought about war or conflict, since the only thing we had ever seen was the little military exercise over in the persian gulf the first time.

Doug was always a little unstable growing up, an indecisive and flighty person, but he was a hell lot of fun. Always into whatever I was into, we played video games and card games and everything together. He was the person I always looked forward to seeing at family stuff. Best friends.

When he went to the army, he fell into a bad crowd. Im not entirely sure what happened when, but he tried to kill himself at one time and there was some big scandal about cocaine parties and stuff. The stress of the situation freaked him out so bad that he turned to anything and everything that could make him forget.

Of course the army tried everything they could before they discharged him, and by the time he got out he was pretty much through the wringer. I didnt see him much around them, but it took him a long time to get things back together. finally he was back in society, he was working steady, he had a girlfriend, and for the first time ina long time, he seemed happy.

And then they reactivated him.

Now hes in downtown baghdad, sweating and praying and flipping out.

Hang in there Dougie.