How to scare the living crap out of a parent [View All]

[DFW]

On Thurday, my younger daughter will come with me to Brussels.
Even my wife is taking off from work to come with us, as is
our daughter's boyfriend, who is from Düsseldorf. For once,
this is not my usual weekly trip over to Brussels for work
and nor is it a chocolate run.

The reason for the big trek (for them) is that on Friday, she
leaves from Brussels for three months in Sierra Leone to be
with the U.N. war crimes tribunal there. This is a country where
they have electricity in the capital city for a few hours a day,
and no paved roads, so that in the rainy season (starts in late
June), the streets are foot-thick paths of mud. Mosquitoes,
which are everywhere, carry yellow fever, malaria, and another
dozen horrible illnesses I can't even pronounce. This is the
place about which "Blood Diamond" was filmed. It is not
exactly the kind of spot I would have picked for my summer
vacation. I guess you could say that about a lot of West Africa.

But this is no vacation. It is an honor to have been picked
by the UN to be part of this, and if she returns alive, she will
add a rather unique public service chapter to her resumé, which
always helps in getting a job later on.

IF she returns alive. But she is a big girl now (23) and can decide
for herself if she wants to do this or not.

We are left behind to tremble for three months. We are not into prayer,
but anyone who wants to cross their fingers with us is more than welcome!