Personal Narrative Blog

Kelly Hales WST 3015
April 5, 2010
Nina Perez

Article: Saturday, July 31, 2004 “And We're Back…”

I have always been intrigued by the blog kept by a woman who calls herself Riverbend. She is a woman who, through her writings, has provided an insight to the rest of world about what life is like in Baghdad, Iraq during times of war. She has been personally affected by the war and shares with the world different aspects of her everyday life. I think that the War against Terrorism is something that Americans are totally out of touch with. Whether or not one supports the war, it is obvious that none of us actually understand the trials and tribulations that the Iraqi people go through. The Riverbend blog is a small window into this terrible and cruel world which no American has probably ever imagined before.

One of the blog posts that I was quite fascinated with was titled “And We’re Back…” I particularly enjoyed this entry because she explained several different aspects of her life. I would describe her blog as extremely versatile; it is political, personal, and educational. She shared certain current events, happenings in her city, and even what was going on inside her own home. She also shared some of her personal feelings and emotions, which to me was especially amazing because I felt that I almost knew her or was able to relate to her. I particularly enjoyed that she shared with the reader the fact that due to the war the power was out for nearly 23 hours out of the day. She explained that she loves to open the refrigerator door “and let the cool- albeit slightly odorous- refrigerated air surround” her. It seems that by providing such a private detail of her life allows the reader to relate to her more. She is a real person who has desires for everyday luxuries which we take for granted – such as air conditioning. She also explains that her uncle had to begin searching for a burial plot for her late aunt; another detail about her private life.

Her writing is also political because she describes that abductions in her region are at an all time high. She explains that in lieu of the war everyone knows at least one abducted person. It has commonly been declared that “perhaps one of the most far-reaching effects of war is the normalization of violence in everyday life” (Kirk and Okazawa-Rey 507). By reading the blogs created by Riverbend it is obvious that violence is an everyday occurrence in the life of an Iraqi. She uses terms such as “car bomb, gunshot, beheading and torture” with an air of normality; something completely foreign to Americans.

The Riverbend blog also gives the reader a sense of Iraqi customs. She explains the different traditions which a family goes through when a family member passes away. The tradition is extremely too different to that of a death in U.S. culture.

I think that Riverbend’s blog allows the world to see her and her culture as real people and less in terms of “them”. I also think that her blog provides some actual emotion to the effects of war as opposed to the dull matter-of-fact news reports we are accustomed to. This war was created for the comfort of American’s and is at the expense of the Iraqi civilians. It is justly stated that “some people’s freedom and comfort should not be brought at the expense of others” (Kirk and Okazawa-Rey 376). We should try to analyze the war only after reading something as touching and heartfelt as Riverbend’s blog.

Resources:

Kirk, Gywn, and Margo Okazawa-Rey. "Living in a Globalized World". Women's Lives Multicultural Perspectives. New York: McGraw Hill, 2009.

Kirk, Gywn, and Margo Okazawa-Rey. "Women are the Military, War, and Peace". Women's Lives Multicultural Perspectives. New York: McGraw Hill, 2009.

Riverbend, "Baghdad Burning". April 5 2010. riverbendblog.blogspot.com