It's quiet

It's strangely quiet outside tonight--at least for the moment. No wind. No helicopters. No birds. The palms aren't swaying and there are no sirens. Just stillness.

But like everything here, it's almost anticipatory. It seems like you never know what's around the corner. I see it in my Iraqi friends, and I see it in Iraqi institutions. There's a certain hesitancy. That uncertainty, again, of what's coming next. It makes moving things forward here very difficult. It makes bold steps almost impossible, and I wonder, if that's part of what's impeding bold and decisive leadership in this country.

P.S. Happy Birthday, Mother. I love you, and I miss you.