NOTE: This is the first in a series of writings on my life changing experiences in the Gulf War, continue checking back as they will appear at the rate of no less than one a week, but maybe more, as time permits, enjoy, comment if you like..

Most people have epiphenies regarding the meaning, or importance of things, around Christmas time, an Its-A-Wonderful-Life-ish type thing. But mine, actually, came about, because of a truly life changing event, which not only affected my view of holiday's, but my perspective of life, and its' meaning.

For a long while, I had become disenchanted on society, thinking that the majority of people in the world were the living vision of capitalistic personified. Thinking that we seem to exist only to fuel the capitalistic, money hungry engine of life. It was most obvious to me, in the marketing, and commercialization, of holidays. Holiday's that were created, or brought about, to celebrate, show appreciation, respect for a certain event or person..that have now been turned into "How can we make money off of this"..I mean, since when did X=Christ in the shortening of Christmas to X-Mas..and I have to admit, I was as caught up, and consumed in that attitude, as well as taking so many little things in life for granted. I was blind to reality, until the one day..my blinders were removed..and for the first time, I could see clearly.

The Persian Gulf War, Operation Desert Storm, whatever you want to call it, has had far-reaching implications, since its conclusion over 8 years ago. The political, and military aspects are still ongoing, the medical effects are well documented, and disputed, but sometimes lost in the shuffle of it all, is the personal effect. There were over 500,000 people in the Gulf during the actual war time, each of them having a different story, a different tale of how the entire experience has changed them.

My story of Desert Storm, soon to be major book coming to a Latte-house near you, and what happened, is quite a long tale, that I will share in writing some time very soon..but here is at least a taste, a tease..a preview if you will..of things to come.

I've always said that people never really appreciate what they have until it is taken away from them. A philosophy which can apply on a small, or large scale, some people never realize how dependent they are on cars, until theirs breaks down..then seemingly, all life stops, falls apart, and causes a major readjustment in everything. On a larger scale, for the purposes of my story, freedom. A word that few of us know and can appreciate the meaning of, because we've always grown up in it's blanket, kept warm and safe, and yet we revel in it, and unknowingly benefit and take advantage of it everyday. But what does it mean, to be free, the ability to do what we want, when we want, to work wherever, to go wherever, to choose our leaders, worship as we please. These are things that we do every day, and yet most of the world has restricitions from one, if not more, of these basic freedoms that we enjoy. Yet, we continue on, undaunted, trudging along, enjoying blindly, our ignorance filled bliss, not knowing that at any moment, our complacency could be shattered, as mine was.