Imagine

10/13/2006 - It is Friday the 13th, and I have survived my walk through the minefields of Afghanistan. In Western culture, this is often thought of as an unlucky daywhen the stars line up on the thirteenth day of the month on a Friday. Yet, as I glance down at my ten toes, ankles, and knees, I feel so very fortunate and truly "lucky" to have my limbs in tact--a concept that the world takes so much for granted.

 The grounded decision to take interpid footsteps on the most heavily mined soils of the world was made to bring global visibility to the issue of landmines. While Kings, Queens, Presidents and Ambassadors strive to make important policy decisions to remove the "roots of terror" from our soils in a world spinning out of control, perhaps the simple footsteps of two mothers--Afghan and American--may somehow bring the world back on their feet. Removing ONE landmine at a time seemed like a viable alternative to hiding under our covers in the US, as Shamim and I discussed the reality of walking hand-in-hand though a minefield in Afghanistan last September. Turning seeds of terror into seeds of hope...

After carefully discussing the risks of walking together through a minefield and understanding the reality of perhaps "not" coming home, I remember turning on the radio to calm my thoughts as I drove to pick up my 11 year old son from Middle School in California. A song from the past emeged as I turned up the volume: Imagine by John Lennon. My thoughts gently shifted the words to the music, "Imagine there's no landmines, it isn't hard to do...No hell beneath us, above us only sky...

As I slowly drove into the parking lot of my own alma mater Middle School, I knew that it was my destiny to go to Afghanistan. As I kissed my young son and waved to the other mothers, I somehow knew that I was no ordinary Marin County housewife and there was no way to explain my decision to my contemporaries. Great risk, yet great reward for children living outside of my most privleged community.