Heros, Ferries, Wedges

Billy don't be a hero
Don't be a fool with your life....
Billy don't be a hero
Come back and make me your wife....
and as Billy started to go...
She said "keep your pretty hair long"
Billy don't be a hero
Come back to me....PaperLACE

Today I saw my beautiful 20yo Nephew J who is in the army and is in training to be shipped off to Iraq on 25/7. He is such a great person and grown up and I love him lots. I am less scared about his trip that I was, but I was troubled by the fact that training has included learning arabic phrases such as "I am not american I am australian" and that the compound where he will be living is fully stocked with starbucks, maccas, burger king etc....Fu*king Americans....Seriously they wonder why terrorists target them.

Anyways he is a big boy,has a good head on his shoulders and I pray to god, allah, buddha and Visnu and anyone else who will listen, that he will be save and return back after his tour.

He got a great little snapshot of Sydney today, went and picked him up from barracks, took him home to see the house then drove into the city, caught the ferry to Manly and back again, then went off to Woolwich to the pub for wedges (didn't have tooo many I was good!)then back to barracks. He loved it and plans to bring his wife E (yes he got married young, but they are in lurve) down for a holiday and maybe even contemplate putting in for a transfer to Sydney after his tour in Iraq.

We have a good chat about his dad (my eldest brother B from whom he has been estranged from since he was 12)but I am not sure if B will ever see the amazing adults they have become unless he takes responsiblity for his past mistakes and moves on. He is a great person, and an awesome nephew.


The funny/sad thing is - his first overseas holiday is not like most Aussie kids to Bali but to Bagdad! Seriously he better come home in one piece or there tears before bedtime...