Sirens, Standbys and the Search for Something

Sirens, Standbys and the Search for Something is a look into a true world where free time, coffee, characters, and existential crisis are in abundance; airline tickets are free and income is gained by anything but ordinary means. Take a fresh look at the world around you, ask hard questions, and fly out of the funk…that’s the name of the game.


They carried me from the medical tent to a more secure indoor compound. My eyes were closed. I heard a female voice.
“He looks like a hippie... Are you a hippie or something?”
Another marine spoke to me, “So do you speak Pashto?”
I shook my head ‘no.’
“Do you speak Farsi?”
...nope...
“Dari”
...no way...
“Why do you have this job?” A gust of air through my lifeless throat mumbled.
“I have no idea why I have this job.”