FROM INSURGENTS TO PRE-EMERGENTS
Name: Deployed Teacher
Posting date: 6/5/09
Returned from: Afghanistan
Milblog: Deployed Teacher 
Email: deployedteacher@gmail.com

It's interesting to observe how life has shifted from one focus to another now that I'm home. An example: For six months, it was all about Afghanistan insurgents, now, it's crabgrass pre-emergents. So, for peace of mind, I set out to find similarities between the two that might help make my mental transition easier, and more meaningful.

As I considered a pre-emergent for the lawn/garden, I found an article from the Ohio State University Extension entitled: Pre-Emergent Herbicides Effective for Weed Control. Here are some bullets from the article:

Marestail, giant ragweed and lambsquarter remain some of the most challenging weeds to control for several reasons:

• They become more difficult to control with increasing size and age.

• They are some of the first weeds to emerge in the spring, and marestail grows quickly in size, making proper burndown treatments a must to control them.

• Avoid making post-emergence applications during periods of adverse environmental conditions, such as low temperatures, extended cloudy periods, and drought.

Here's my take on this useful information, uh,... I mean intelligence:

Taliban insurgents and their radical fundamentalist followers are the most difficult to control for several reasons:

• They become more difficult to control with increasing size and rage.

• They are the first to emerge in the spring/summer, and their numbers grow quickly in size, making appropriate engagement/elimination a must.

• Avoid engaging insurgents during periods of adverse environmental conditions, such as low  temperatures, extended cloudy periods, and drought.

Is it a stretch to equate Taliban insurgency with out of control weeds? Mmmm, you tell me -- but if any of you pass by my house and see me vigorously eradicating/eliminating weeds, via airborne or ground assault methods, please consider that my conduct is easily explained by the psychological term, "transference."

Transference: "the redirection of feelings and desires; especially of those unconsciously retained from war, toward a new object." *

* For you psych majors: Yes, I replaced the word "childhood" with "war." Sorry, but it makes sense.

Comments

[Kathy B]

Sorry, no air support for the yard. But, there are many advantages and you will grow accustomed to the scale.

Welcome home to the mundane details of domestic tranquility.

[wwitch]

Lambsquarter is a delicious and convenient substitute for spinach when young.