As some of you know, the milblogosphere, and more importantly, ME, have had issues with Mike Yon in the past.
As I sat and watched the waves crash along the rocky shores of Ehukai beach, not really thinking about anything for a few minutes, I became aware of the incredible feeling of calm that can beset a person once they've let go of their emotions and just forgiven. There is a tranquility here that goes beyond relaxation--one that transcends rest. There is a feeling of the impact a person really has on a universal scale--that we, no matter how full of sound and fury, signify nothing in the big--really big picture.
The largest waves--pure, perfect energy, were dashed along the reef, the energy washing over the rocks and escaping as a crash and whisper of foam. The waves, for all their terrible might, were really nothing more than the grains of sand along the shore. The fury, the power, the force--nothing after a few moments; and followed by another wave, sometimes greater, sometimes smaller, but always followed.
And so it it with Michael Yon. Michael Yon has left the massage parlors, bars, and temples of Thailand and is now wandering the Afgan countryside, looking for a story. He has taken pictures of sand, mountains, snow, the moon, helicopters, and cars. He is searching... for the truth, or a truth that fits his narrative; for a story or a picture that will bring him fame and sell his books, or maybe he's just looking for something to do. Whatever it is, I hope he finds it. I hope he finds the peace that I have found... the peace to look aound and see that what we do in our lives can matter--whether we are the big wave, a little wave, or a grain of sand.
I have been following Michael Yon on his new, much more interesting blog, and you should too.
--Chuck
Post Script: One last thing, if you should happen to read this Michael.... Eat my shit, asshole.
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