Here I am, just minding my own business, trying to get back from the office to the hooch, in the dark, with my little flashlight and out of no where I hear an Iraqi come out from behind an IP truck saying, "Mista, Mista, you give me light?"
It is really dark outside, but I am slow to say no, so he grabs my arm and walks me over to the truck. He then proceeds to hold my hand up under his open hood and adjust my wrist to shine my light on the fuse box.
Relatively relieved that he didn't "want" my flashlight, I obliged and noticed that about half the fuses where missing.
This is a nice, Ford F350 truck, relatively new, and missing half the fuses....
He would grab a fuse from one spot, move it to another spot, get in the truck and try and start it. When that didn't work, he would repeat the process until the truck started, well, tried to start until the fuse blew.
He quickly jumped out of the truck, grabbed the fuse with the highest number on it and stuck it in that spot. Then he jumped back in the truck, started it up, got out and shook my hand. Just as I was walking away, I heard him get in the truck, pause, get back out of the truck and say, "Mista, Mista you give me light?"
Did he want the flashlight now? No, he grabbed my hand and we shined on the fuse box one more time. This time, he pulled the fuse out that started the truck and put it back where it was. With the truck running, I guess he didn't need that one there, but he needed headlights.
Sure enough, the headlights came on and he was closing the hood of his IP truck, ready to start his shift.
All I could do was shake my head. This was truly improvising at its best. These guys may not be able to run a country in a game of Risk, but they could probably teach McGuyver a thing or two about making things work.
Semper Fi,
m
2 comments:
Mark,
Poor guy!!!!!!! I'd be happy to buy him some spark plugs if I knew what kind he needed!!!!!! They aren't even all that expensive!!
Mom
Mom,
Are we talking about fuses or spark plugs. Spark plugs are about $8.00 a piece and they are relatively heavy (made of glass and metal). Fuses are relatively light and inexpensive.
They are the ones for a F350 (Ford pick-up truck). I would think that they are standard fuses. The problem is that we would be giving HIM a fish instead of teaching THEM to fish.
They have a supply system that is supposed to get them the gear and stuff they need, but they refuse to learn to ask for the stuff. We provided them with the trucks, put in place the logistical chain to get them parts and maintenance for the trucks and trained them to use that logistical chain and they keep on resorting to “Mista, you give me?”. As long as we give them, they don’t need that logistical chain and we are stuck here giving your tax money to them.
That is the paradox we are stuck in over here. We keep giving them the noun fish (things) instead of forcing them to use the verb fish (actions).
Many Americans are in the same boat. Why take action and fish (get a job, with health care and benefits) when the government will give them the fishes (welfare checks, food stamps, health care and welfare) while they sit on their butts taking NO action? I guess they do it because we will let them do it. Like water, they take the path of least resistance, and who can blame them.
Further, they keep on electing the politicians who allows them to do it. The rich, in all their wealth and power, don’t have the numbers to support the representative who will protect their wealth and keep it from getting taken by the taxes used to support such a socialist welfare system.
Sorry about that political soap-box rant, but I get chaffed about that every so often….
I love and miss you,
m
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