The Marna holiday invasion
My holiday postcard minimum print run is 500. My card list is 200. Each year I try to find ways to distribute the excess. I’ll hand them out in the office, to the guards, to the postman, and to waiters with the tip.
This year I got a little creative with the extras. I decided to serve my country by mailing these things to the troops in Iraq. I assumed they’d bring great joy IF the boob and leg exposure wasn’t stopped short at the border.
I opted to go with Any Sailor given my ties to the Navy (and because I love saying “Hello Sailor”). These poor guys have pretty decent duty stations compared to the Air Force missile cornfields and Army bases inland. So imagine leaving a cushy port town and being sent to a sandy destination with burqas, not bikinis. That’s gotta really suck.
Today I received my first thank you call from a petty officer stationed in Kuwait. He wanted to let me know my sense of humor was tremendously appreciated. “We get so much mail from 9 year-olds and grandmothers. It’s nice to have a woman write that is intelligent.”
Apparently, I have nice legs too, but that could be the sun blindness talking.
So, no matter what your political affiliation may be, I strongly encourage you to send some kind words to those serving in the war. A little goes a long way during the holiday season.