Afghanistan Through My Eyes - Dr. Timothy Miller

I came down to Key West to celebrate an 80th birthday with a dear friend, J. Pintauro. I love KW, if ever there is a creative vortex it's here.

People magazine just put out their sexiest man alive issue. The best part of the issue is on page 10 in the mailbag there is a comment regarding the 2010 Heroes Among Us Award winner, Dr. Timothy Miller and the four injured servie men whose faces he helped rebuild.

This is courage. This is an example to others on how to turn tragedy into triumph...

Why the US is in Afghanistan - Afghan Children

Still waiting to hear if and when I'm going to Afghanistan. I'm trying to make it real, but I guess it will be a dream over the rainbow until I get there.

The more people I talk to about my journey the more I'm amazed at how receptive everyone is. Yes, who are these men and women that don a uniform and fight, risking the most precious thing of all...life? Why do they do it?

One day people will realize that we are all the same. We all want the same things. If we could only live and let live we could accomplish great and powerful things.

Veteran's Chapter

War is a different kind of vacation. It's a vacation from your life, but it's memories will always be with you.

The young boys that go to war, quickly become men. Some of them retain their boyish demeanor, but inside their hearts have been frozen by what they've seen. Most of them don't have ideas about who they want to become before they go to war, but they all have one thing in common...they all want to come back alive.

I don't understand why there are so many homeless Vets? Wasn't that one of the great promises of the government? They were supposed to train the soldiers and teach them amazing skills plus they would see the world! I think whoever wrote their travel brochures were the boy geniuses of Madison Avenue.

Inoculations...

I had 5 of my shots today and it was a breeze! I mentioned to the doctor at the travel clinic my trepidation and how I used to beg my parents to take me to the doctor's office, my Dad's office, because then Mrs. Zurek, his nurse, could give me the shots and they wouldn't hurt at all. This woman Rebecca, sure know's how to give a shot. I go back in a month to get the other 4.

Funny how you build things up so much in your head, but then when it happens it can be anticlimactic. I used to do that a lot more when I was younger. Everything was stressful or agonizing...going to school, swiming a race, taking a test, having your in-laws visit, then the day would come and it would be fine. I'm trying to take one day at a time, live one day at a time and just do what you need to do.

Did you ever notice the most humble and brave people do that. They just live life and don't think twice about it, it's deep inside of them like posture. It's integrity. I'd like to think everyone still has integrity, but they're saving it for something big, like the good crystal and dishes. Kind of stupid.

Afghanistan Through My Eyes

It's funny about going to Afghanistan...it's a great conversation opener. But thinking about it I wonder about my selfishness in going. Yes, I originally wanted to go to hug soldiers and tweet a holdiday message from them to their family, but I can see how it's affecting my daughters.

Don't get me wrong, they are being 100% supportive, but I can at times sense some anger because of the danger involved. They are now without a father and I don't think they could bear it to be without a Mom.

But then I think about why I need to go. There is something inside me that is compelling me to go. I really do believe that if it's meant to happen then it will. There is some divine fate at work here and that is why I moved to JAX in the first place.

Mostly I want to give the people wearing the uniform a voice. I know I can do this.