All photo’s and Website © 2012 JimSpiri.com, All Rights Reserved
It is said that in everything there is a reason. Many
people tell me this. Few really believe it. Most folks that say
this, do so to comfort someone who has encountered some
suffering. Others say it as they try to figure something out
that cannot be readily explained. And still others say "there
must be a reason" out of habit to explain or justify
something. I do not know much about reason. I have never
claimed to be the most reasonable person in the room. I
generally just don't see the reason in it. The only thing I can say that I know about reason is that it rhymes with season.
To everything there is a season and a time to every purpose…
There was absolutely no rhyme or reason for me to have done what I did this season in coming here to Afghanistan. Which
coincidently is exactly why it made perfect sense to me. Once I began mingling with the soldiers of the New Mexico National
Guard that operate these medevac missions, and listened to their stories of why they too came here, a kinship of spirits was
ignited. Thus a reason was found without any reasoning.
I just had to come here.
The name SPIRI FREELANCE, is something I just go by. The key word is "free". Most everything I've done with the camera, the
audio recorder and the keyboard, has been for free. In the beginning, I had this idea that if I do what's in my heart and just
tell the story of what it is like just passing through the places and events that have crossed my path, then somewhere along
the line the bills would get paid. I thought it possible that if 10,000 people viewed this website all may want to contribute $1
each. That would be enough to keep pressing on. All the trips to the war zones I've done with camera in tow have always
been on my own dime. Once in a blue moon, a few faithful and loyal followers, among whom are some whose sons I
happened to come across in the war zone, generously helped me out. For this I am extremely thankful.
Most people have no idea how much it takes to pull off a journey. In every case, I have somehow managed by the seat of my
pants to complete each journey on a very thin shoe-string budget. Corners are cut at every turn and simple luxuries of travel
are left by the wayside. The trips that I do are not designed for people like me. They are designed to accommodate the big
boys of the main stream media whose endless supply of money comes from gigantic corporations who all have an agenda to
push. I, on the other hand, have to compete at their level with basically no funding other than what I have saved for a rainy
day and solicited from friends that have come to know what I do.
Nowhere on the website do you see a big time sponsor. What you see is the work of a "freelancer" in the war zone who does
what he does so the families of the ones serving can have a glimpse into the life of their Soldier or Marine that is deployed.
The postings are put up by a friend of mine who could make a lot of money for his services. His name is Dave. What he does
for me he does from the heart because his own daughter is a soon to be Captain in the United States Army and her job is in
the medical side of the house. He helps me because he wants to. He also knows I have zero high tech skills and would
drown in a sea of technology trying to figure out how to get my stories out so all could see and hear and read about their
loved ones.
There have been others just as helpful. The father of one Marine whom I tracked down twice in two different war zones held
a family gathering at his home and collected a sum and forwarded it to me for my previous embed. Then there is the mother
of a Marine whose son is named Sam, whom I spent time in Fallujah, Iraq and Marjah, Afghanistan with. Sam and I became
good friends and spent some time being shot at by the bad guys. I sent her three very good photos of her son that I framed
myself. She in turn helped me out on this journey. And there are others. A little here and a little there and eventually I step
out in faith and just go.
I have said on many occasions that it is not about the money. This journey has set me back a fair bit financially. But there
are some things that money just cannot buy. The experiences I have here and have had elsewhere, are really priceless, no
matter how much it costs me to do this. And I am for sure certain that I would do it again even if I have to go in debt to
come to these places where people are real and do real things.
In the end, I've created this website to show people who want to know what it is like to be with those folks who really are our
neighbors and are waging war against those that did us all harm back in September of 2001. The folks here are in fact, truly
my neighbors. Many of them actually live within a mile or two of my home. I came literally half way around the world to find
them and report back in the form of still photographs, audio recordings and writings. I believe I have succeeded in doing
what I set out to do, once again.
For those of you that like what I have done, and believe that it is a worthy project, I thank you. For those of you that want to
help out, now is a good time to do that. Contact me via email at: jimspiri@yahoo.com or just follow the instructions at the
top of the website. Stay in touch. I will do the same.
Sincerely
Jim Spiri
SPIRI FREELANCE
www.jimspiri.com
SPIRI FREELANCE