I'm tired of fighting, It must be my age.

The title above is stolen, it is a line from Shichinin no samurai (the Seven Samurai) by Kurosawa. I've seen so many films inspired by it, but tonight I got to see the original. For those of you who haven't seen it, a village beset by bandits, employs several out-of-work samurai for their defense. The seven starts with one aging master who plays the leader and recruits the others. The true salvation of the village comes as the farmers are transformed not only to fight for themselves, but also to forgo guarding their own individual interests and join for the good of the whole. I can tell you without revealing too much that the samurai wisely note that even though they have survived, they are defeated in comparison to the richness of the communal family life of the farmers.
As I prepare to leave with my band, I wonder who will be the leader of men? Who will be the jokester? When I am again among Iraqis, how will we find each other? I can only hope that I do more good than trouble I stir up.
M and I are making the most of our time by going on many dates. We have never been in such need of babysitters! We are quite simple in our likes: movies and food. Sometimes, we even go in for good movies and good food! Last night was a wonderful meal at the Lodge of Castle Hills. It was a delight but did not dislodge La Reve from our hearts. Since Friday, I have turned over care of my patients to a trusted colleague, so I was even able to partake of the wine pairings for a rare occasion. Since no alcohol is allowed in the area of responsibility, I best get my taste before I am banished to the land of near-beer and brown stuff and rice.
On one final note, our book will be featured on CSPAN-2 Book TV tonight at 11:05PM when they will air in interview we did at the Twig Bookshop. I hope it gets some attention for Fisher House.
Hope to see you all soon,
Chris