Flashbacks of my Youth

Growing up, we burned our trash in a burning barrel. I have distinct memories of taking the trash out and standing there trying to get wet garbage to burn. I revisited that place yesterday. Here in Kabul there is a shortage of many things that professional office staff take for granted, such as a reliable power supply and functioning office equipment like copiers and shredders. Late last night I had a big box of sensitive documents that needed to be destroyed. The little shredder that we have in our office would have taken days, so I burned the paper instead. 30+ years later, there was the same little boy playing with a stick poking at a fire burning in an old oil barrel.