Not for Everybody

We are in a bubble here in the castle, and although I can see the 6^th Century walls high up on the hills surrounding this city, its unlikely I will ever touch them while I am here, yet I stare at them.  What locals I see are either Ministry professionals, vendors, guards or my young interpreters or maybe the street kids selling scarves. The vast ordinary Afghans remain distant to me behind the inch of bullet resistant glass of my car.  Folks in the castle handle stress differently.  For me its keeping busy and never missing an opportunity to talk to someone new.  Others are buried in some routine or their rooms during the off time. It’s statistically probable that given our population size, some just won’t hack it and have to be sent home.  Given the current situation, some are glued to the latest threat reports.  This is not a good thing as it will consume you.  As if we were on a Navy ship or submarine, you keep watch on each other and when it looks like someone can’t hold it together, they are quietly, and quickly, sent home.  A couple of weeks ago, one civilian began yelling from the upper deck that bad folks were coming.  Gone.    Another mouthed off at a senior military officer.  Gone.  Another started snapping at her teammates.  Gone.  Folks that have been here for over five years tell me that in the austere rural posts, they take bets on how long the new guys will last. For some its days.  Though fulfilling on many levels, this is not for everyone.