Whoever said that music is the medicine for the soul must have gone through similar experiences like I underwent. I went through some tough trying times as a soldier in Afghanistan and I really do not think that I would have survived the ordeal or if I would have come out of it mentally upright if it were not for the soothing effects of music.
I have always loved to be a soldier and wearing the dignified colors of the army and fighting wars for the country had been my dream ever since I was a child. My father is a retired veteran who fought many wars and our house is decorated with many photos of his time as a soldier. There is one particular photo that is hung behind his desk in his study that has him proudly wearing his uniform that is decorated with several medals proclaiming his many conquests as a military man.
That picture was very influential to me growing up and it made me vow as a little child that I would one day fight for my country.
After enlisting for the army, going through the training, and being sworn in as a cadet, I was very excited when the news about war came in. I was excited by the opportunity to serve and I readily volunteered.
When we got to Afghanistan the first thing that hit me was the expansiveness of the desert. From wherever I could look, from out the window of the chopper we were flying in, all I could see was sand and rock and then more sand. From the skies it was very hard to make out any signs of life below apart from the occasionally cluster of tents that would indicate a village or a camp of some sort.
The other thing that caught me by surprise was the heat. We had been told about the heat but no one could be ready for what awaited us. The hot sun seemed to have dropped and come some levels closer to earth. The heat was agonizing and our clothes were constantly sticking to our backs. The first few days my throat was constantly parched but I could not freely take my water as we had to learn to adapt to the conditions as fast as possible.
It did not take long for us to be called into action. The countryside was always abuzz with fighting action. There were numerous insurgent groups that were warring against us and against each other and we had the responsibility for bringing peace. Many of the villagers were armed and they were willing to fight. Many were religious fanatics who were willing to die for the slightest reason. Venturing out was highly risky since we were not sure who our enemies were, when they were going to strike, and what weapons they would use.
I was mostly deployed in rescue missions. While in action in the field, my mind would go into auto pilot and would mechanically do as I was trained to do without taking time to think. Later when we would return to the barracks was when the events would come back to haunt us. The mind being idle would playback the horror scenes over and over and it would become unbearable torture for many. Luckily my sister had insisted I carry a small music player in which she had loaded hundreds of good consoling gospel music.
Listening to the music was the highlight of my day and it helped me keep faith and keep sane.
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Music is the medicine for the soul Credit Picture License: Singing a song via photopin cc
