NEW ORLEANS — In watching the current and frantic evacuation of Kabul, I remember how majestic Afghanistan’s capitol looked when I arrived there in 2013. It was a different time though. I was reporting for another news outlet then. Osama bin Laden had been killed two years earlier and there was a general feeling that with him out of the picture, there was going to be time for the U.S. to move on from the country.
As that is taking place now, I pray for the safety of the Afghans I had the privilege to meet and work with during my month-long assignment in Kabul.
I produced several stories on Fawad, a kid who sold maps on the street. He wanted to be a pilot someday.
Abdul was our driver during our trips around the city. He had dreams of becoming a journalist. Abdul navigated some really tough terrain for us in between the Hindu Kush mountains.
On a story featuring a group of orphans preparing to perform at Carnegie Hall, I met 13-year-old Laila. She loved playing drums. What will life look like for her and other young women under the Taliban again?
My deepest connection was with Najeeb. He worked in the kitchen of the compound where I was staying. Our love for cooking gave us a common language. Najeeb lived on the outskirts of Kabul with his wife and two sons, but had no electricity. Najeeb was part of an ethnic group called the Hazara, considered to be one of the most oppressed minorities in Afghanistan. He showed up for work every day with a smile and fed our team of producers, photographers and security guards.
I really haven’t thought of Afghanistan until now. It’s one of the many luxuries we enjoy in America. It’s a luxury secured by the service men and women who sacrificed body and blood. Ultimately, they and the Afghan people are the most qualified in deciding if America’s longest war truly made a difference in Afghanistan. From my limited time and experience there, I can say several people in Kabul left a lasting mark on my life.
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