Bringing the war home to Home Depot

Staple gun.

Today, on KUOW's Sound Focus, I heard a very interesting poem by an Iraq War veteran named Brian Turner.

Poem was about merging memories from the distant war with experiences in Home Depot. Ceiling fans - helicopter blades. A lot of other connections. That show is available in the KUOW archives for Sound Focus Feb. 4.

Here's an interesting thing I saw at Home Depot. Actually this was a Home Base store, here in Bellingham. Now out of business.

My own somewhat related experience. Just listening to what transpired around me.

One day, I walked into Home Base. I seldom venture to home building stores not being a homeowner. I've never been to war either.

In Aisle 12, mother calls out for her son.

In Aisle 5, son starts looking for mother.

Mother looks down Aisles 11, 10, 9, 8, 7.

Son looks down Aisles 6, then 7.

Mother looks down 6 after son has gotten to Aisle 8.

Soon panic strikes mother.

"Call 911, my son's been abducted."

Police response is swift, they must have been in parking lot.

One can imagine, "cordoning off area, setting up a command post, bringing in the swat team?"

Mom finds son just as officers enter store.

Everyone is relieved.

Now, if only the war could end that quickly.

Hair trigger fear just beneath the surface at a home improvements store.

Getting lost among the stacks of products. Like the products intervene between us.

And a really big danger, domestically, is driving home. Around 40,000 Americans perishing each year on roadways.

Then there's the fear that the oil supply pipeline from Persian Gulf could be interrupted for one moment to harm the economy of soccer moms turned to security moms.

But it isn't just moms. Lots of folks are on edge these days.