One Degree from Normal

This woman came in to BookStore last night and she was very upset. She started to tell me about how her grandson had bought some books for his father, to send to him in Iraq. She said she had spoken to a manager earlier that day about bringing them in for a refund. I told her she didn't have to finish, because, well, I could figure out on my own where the story was going. She was really distraught and I couldn't help but hug her and try to comfort her.

I don't remember if I mentioned it here or not, but last month, I waited on a nice man who was buying several anti-Bush political books. He told me that he was being deployed that week and he wanted to get some books to take with him. From what this mother told me, I am pretty sure it is the same guy.

At first, I wasn't sure if I believed her story, the cynical retail worker that I am. She didn't have a receipt and she wanted cash back and one of the books, we couldn't really verify if we'd even sold a copy. The supervisor had to cover her own butt and all, so she just returned one of them

Still, I can't imagine anyone would put on that much of an act for $40. And if she's that good, she ought to be in Hollywood. I feel horrible even *thinking* that, but that's how we are taught to think and all. Even my supervisor felt bad about it. The woman ended up leaving the other book, When Presidents Lie by Eric Alterman, "for me". I put it back on the shelf because, like I said, we weren't showing that it was ever sold.

Anyway, regardless of whether or not her story was true, it was still pretty upsetting for me. It was horrible to think that nice man that I helped might be dead and I felt guilty that part of me didn't believe her. Because if she was telling the truth, I owed her more than my cynisism, you know?

Being the curious person that I am, I finally went to Iraq Coalition Casualties this afternoon to see if anyone from Houston had been lost recently. I came across a reference to a Houston man who was killed on September 26th:

DoD Identifies Army Casualty

The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Capt. Eric L. Allton, 34, of Houston, Texas, died Sept. 26 in Ar Ramadi, Iraq, when he was struck by a mortar round. Allton was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 17th Field Artillery Regiment, 2nd Infantry Division, Camp Hovey, Korea.

The incident is under investigation.

That could be him. The age and the timing is right. I guess I am lucky if this is as close as I personally come to this stupid, stupid war, right? Other than that, I don't even know what to say. If that was his mother, I am so sorry that I even doubted her for a second. And if I did have the pleasure of meeting him, I am at least grateful for that.

It's not fair that sons and father and mothers and sisters and friends are dying over the whims of this administration. I hate to be all soap-boxy and fist-shaky, but it's just all so wrong. Doesn't everyone see how wrong it is?!?!

Go REGISTER TO VOTE and try to start setting things right.