Fawwaz told me a really cool story about a king who would pay people who would come to him and demonstrate their productive talents.
A man came before the king and had invented a new way to catch fish. The king gave him 100 gold pieces and sent him on his way.
A man came before the king and showed him a way to navigate using a magnetized needle floating using a cork. He too went away with 100 gold pieces.
One day a man came before the king with a talent he was sure would impress. He took a needle and threw it, sticking it into the marble wall. He then took another needle and threw it, sticking it into the eye of the first. Then, with another 8 needles did it again and again and again. At the end, he had thrown ten needles, sticking them into the eye of the previous with a toss.
The king had the man flogged. Not only had the man wasted the kings time, but he had wasted countless hours honing this pointless skill. It produced nothing of value.
We are having some dog and pony show today. Not really, but that is the term we have given to little ceremonies that take an inordinate amount of time and produce very few results.
There will be lots of pomp and circumstance, 30+ men standing at attention out in the Iraqi sun, at least one color guard, lots of sheiks and senior people walking around a parking lot that has been swept, mopped and squeegeed, (yes, a parking lot in dusty sandy Iraq, hosed off, mopped and squeegeed!) chairs put out under covered awnings, decorations, sodas and a spread of food, all for two men to hand a silly flag from one to the other.
At the end of the day, what does it really accomplish? Does my job get easier? Do we have to deal with fewer insurgents? Nothing, no and no. At the end of the day it is all about pride.
Enough on that. I will still get to work with the Iraqi's and mentor them in the conduct of their duties. At the end of the day, THAT will make my job easier, make it harder for the insurgents and bring me closer to eliminating the need for a replacement.... If I can eliminate the need for a replacement, that means one less Marine has to come out here, right?
Semper Fi!
m
A man came before the king and had invented a new way to catch fish. The king gave him 100 gold pieces and sent him on his way.
A man came before the king and showed him a way to navigate using a magnetized needle floating using a cork. He too went away with 100 gold pieces.
One day a man came before the king with a talent he was sure would impress. He took a needle and threw it, sticking it into the marble wall. He then took another needle and threw it, sticking it into the eye of the first. Then, with another 8 needles did it again and again and again. At the end, he had thrown ten needles, sticking them into the eye of the previous with a toss.
The king had the man flogged. Not only had the man wasted the kings time, but he had wasted countless hours honing this pointless skill. It produced nothing of value.
We are having some dog and pony show today. Not really, but that is the term we have given to little ceremonies that take an inordinate amount of time and produce very few results.
There will be lots of pomp and circumstance, 30+ men standing at attention out in the Iraqi sun, at least one color guard, lots of sheiks and senior people walking around a parking lot that has been swept, mopped and squeegeed, (yes, a parking lot in dusty sandy Iraq, hosed off, mopped and squeegeed!) chairs put out under covered awnings, decorations, sodas and a spread of food, all for two men to hand a silly flag from one to the other.
At the end of the day, what does it really accomplish? Does my job get easier? Do we have to deal with fewer insurgents? Nothing, no and no. At the end of the day it is all about pride.
Enough on that. I will still get to work with the Iraqi's and mentor them in the conduct of their duties. At the end of the day, THAT will make my job easier, make it harder for the insurgents and bring me closer to eliminating the need for a replacement.... If I can eliminate the need for a replacement, that means one less Marine has to come out here, right?
Semper Fi!
m
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