A Pair of Glasses

It was June 2011, when my team along with a group of Marines were patrolling a very remote village of Khanashin district in Helmand Province, Afghanistan when we saw a farmer preparing his field for the next crop. It was very hot, especially for those who work in agriculture fields. My team leader and I approached the farmer and greeted him. He welcomed us very politely. He was in his fifties, but due to poverty and hard work he looked like a very old person. After asking about his land and crops we asked him about the security situation in his village. We showed him some pictures of local parliamentarians, district and provincial governors and the country's president, local clinic, marketplace, school, and mosque to learn about his understanding of government presence and available services in the area. After giving an intense look at the pictures for a few minutes he said that he cannot recognize any of the pictures. I realized that he may have weak eyesight, so I offered my reading glasses to him. He smiled and wore my glasses. As soon as he wore my glasses his face gleamed with happiness. He laughed and said that now he could see these pictures. At that time, I realized that until now he was unable to see properly due to bad eyesight. I cannot forget the glow of happiness on his face after wearing glasses. At the end of our discussion, I asked him to keep the glasses. From that day onward I used to keep an extra pair of reading glasses to hand over to someone in need and it always helped me to create a friendly atmosphere in a generally hostile environment.