While the rest of the brave world is out fighting terrorism, on my island we are fighting a different kind of evil: age, sickness, and most recently, weeds.
It seems we are always being summoned at 7 a.m. to help fight off something. Last week we fought off cholera by praying to the Myoken-sama shrine in a special ancient Shinto ceremony.
This week we were summoned to fight weeds. Neighbors came armed with weapons: scythes, trowels, shovels, even motorized weed cutters. I was on the frontline with orders to mow down anything in my path. And people wonder why I want the U.S. to get out of Iraq. Isn't there enough fighting going on in daily lives?