A Great Day

One of the most wonderful things to do as a commander is to reward people for doing great work. Today I got to reward our language assistants (interpreters) and local workers with raises. What a gift to see the smiles on the faces of the people that work so hard to make our lives easier.

This afternoon, I needed some Afghani to pay for my haircut that I desperately needed. I asked my friend Temour (he supervises all of the LAs here) if he could exchange some US money for Afghani. He arranged for one of his guys to run to a local currency market for me. I said that as long as he was going into town that he should pick up a treat for the office. About 30 minutes later he returned with two large trays of black cherries. They were delicious! With a belly full of cherries, I walked over to the barber to get my hair cut. He was playing some local music, there was a gentle breeze blowing through the doorway of the little barber hut... I promptly dozed off. That speaks of how tired I am, but also how relaxed I was this afternoon. It is a wonderful feeling to enjoy good stories and laughs with friends and be able to feel completely comfortable in your surroundings. What a great day.