We never met. I never received personal correspondance. But he talks to me from time to time.

I had found his name on the anysoldier.com site back in early December of 2005. The anysoldier site connects people with military contacts of a unit. Some of the contacts post information regularly. He was one who did.

I found his name shortly after he had posted his November 29th message. I read with growing interest and then became mesmerized as he described the opening ceremony for a new school. As he talked and I looked at the included pictures, I began to get a sense of the what it must have been like. When he talked of the two girls and what they said, I began to realize just how different things are for them - of how they must have felt - part joy - part fear. From his words, I could get a sense of what he himself was feeling.

I sent a package. I wanted to be a part, a very small part to be sure, but a part of what he and his crew were doing. I eagerly read his older posts and checked for new postings hoping to learn more about the girls and the school and more about him - the man I never met, but who had touched my heart with his words.

Then, just after Christmas, a notice was posted:
"1st Sgt. Tobias C. Meister, 30, of Jenks, Okla., died south of Asadabad, Afghanistan on Dec. 28, when an improvised explosive device detonated near his HMMWV during combat patrol operations."

* * *

His descriptions - His words are powerful. He speaks of courage, of perserverence, of perspective. If you take the time to go and read his words, you'll not go away unaffected. But the choice, of course, is yours.

There's not a way to link directly to his page or to the post about the opening of the girl's school. However, there is a way to get to it.

1. Go to view link
2. Hover over "Where to send" in the top menu and click on "Lost Any Soldier Contacts"
3. When the new page opens, Click on Search.
4. Click in the circle by the red "Old" and type in Meister in the box by "last name".
5. It will turn up 1 Search result. Click on Meister, Tobias
6. Scroll past pictures and entries until you get to the 29 Nov 2005 post.
7. Then scroll down to the picture of him cutting the ribbon at the opening of the school. Scroll back up to the paragraph just above the picture and start reading.

Perhaps you too will be humbled by the courage shown by the two young girls and the courage of the young serviceman who was inspired by them. Perhaps, Toby will speak to you off and on in time to come and ask you, like he asks me, "What scratches are you making today?"

A man I never met still talks to me.