Tuesday, December 19, 2006

What Our Australian Cousins Think Of Us ... And Other Things That Don't Matter

I should have knocked the Australian on his ass. I was talking to him and an Englishman during my first week in Kuwait, picking their brains about how best to enter Baghdad. The Englishman lived in Dubai, and the Australian lived in Kuwait. Both were successful sales reps in the Middle East for companies that manufactured construction equipment, and both had abandoned doing business in Iraq. The danger, they said, was too great.

The Englishman was helpful, calling people he thought could help me. He insisted I accompany him to the offices of Turner Construction so I could talk to those contractors about getting me into Baghdad. The Australian, though, was a different story.

He had nothing positive to say, and, instead, repeatedly told me how insane I was to even consider going to Iraq.

"Do you speak Arabic?" he asked.

"No," I said.

"Then you're doomed," he prophesied.

"Do you have thousands and thousands of dollars to pay for security while you're in Iraq? To pay for an interpreter? To pay for a driver?"

"No," I said to each question.

The Australian threw his hands up in the air to convey his belief that I was worse than a fool.

The Englishman, I could tell, was embarrassed by his friend's behavior, and he was silent while the chap from Down Under began to rail against America and all things American.

"You Americans are mushrooms," he finally said in summation. "You live in the dark, and you're fed shit."

The Englishman was clearly shocked by the rude remark, but not as much as I. That was too much.

"You know what?" I began. "What you think in your petty mind is none of my business, but what you say in my presence is. If you ever say anything about my country and the people who fight for and defend my country again, I'll knock you on your ass. Maybe my country should have let the Japanese invade your country during World War II."

The Englishman swallowed the last of his coffee and announced that he and I had to go meet with the contractors at Turner Construction, and we left the Australian. He didn't mention anything his friend had said. In fact, he never talked about politics. He tried to help me find an inexpensive way to Baghdad.

Americans are kind of like the brothers who are always fighting with each other, but let someone mess with one of them, and they band together to defend the one attacked by an outsider. Who does that Australian think he is? Down Under is right. I should have put him down under the table.

9 comments:

De'on Miller said...

Calm down. But thanks for defending us. Some people can't be taken out in public.

Anonymous said...

Some people aren't worth it Steve. They will never get it! Praying for him would be your best revenge!

Anonymous said...

You make me proud!!!

De'on Miller said...

Me too, Glag Gazer. Thanks for reading.

Steve will be out with huge branches and a chainsaw. The ice and snow in the panhandle has caused quite mess and dangerous circumstances on his property with the branches.

I'm hoping he'll still be able to post today.

Anonymous said...

I just sent De'on an e'mail telling her that I probably won't be able to write anything until this evening. The trees my grandfather planted 60 years ago are losing huge branches from the weight of the ice and snow. Two of the prettiest trees on the property are probably beyond saving. Fortunately, none of the branches have fallen on the utility lines, and I had always kept the trees pruned so that no branches would spread across the roof. We have high winds in the Texas Panhandle, and I've seen branches destroy a roof during a storm.

It's snowing again, so there will be more branches coming down.

Karen, you're right. But sometimes you just want to turn the other cheek after you've smacked the offender! I know that's not right. I'll work on it!

Thanks, flag gazer for reading our blog. I like yours a lot, and I appreciate the tremendous amount of time you spend on it. Your site is great.

De'on Miller said...

What's his site and we'll put it in our links?!

Anonymous said...

Just click on the name, flag gazer, and it takes you there.

Anonymous said...

Steve - thank you.
De'on - thank you for visiting.

This is a great site for history! And, I always feel a bit the intruder into the family here, thank you for making me feel welcome.

Steve - hope you are doing ok with the storm - we're due to get hit tonight - we'll see.

De'on Miller said...

We try to have history, writing, the arts...it's coming along here and we couldn't be happier.

Please don't feel like an intruder. If at all possible, please feel like family.

THIS SITE IS FOR ALL!! And we will forever and always have family stuff on here I hope, but too, I consider you all as family.

I know everyone probably thinks I'm blowing smoke when I say that, but it is VERY true. Otherwise, I'd just pick up the phone or email.

During times such as we live in now, by and large, there is much the homefront has in common. And if God allows, all of this, everyone's blog will be a part of history. Who we are. What we did when we suffered or worried or needed someone.

Or needed to write or share.

Flag Gazer, you are family and all are welcome here who love our troops or families or the Lord or are curious and interested in any of the above.

Happy 1st day of winter!