Desert Rose

Going to work in Iraq was not the way Mia Harvey planned it, her real ambition was to tour Iraq or Afghanistan with her regiment, but due to circumstances she was never able to get out there with the army, after months of trying she felt frustrated. Mia was told by a friend to work over there as a contractor, pretty much doing the same job just earning a lot more money. For her it wasn’t just about the money, she just felt ready to tour for the experience, so she took the opportunity. Mia wished now that she could have gone with the army because she knew that what she ended up experiencing over there as a civilian would never have happened to her as a soldier. No one told Mia what to expect or what the contracting world be like until she arrived. She went there with a soldier’s heart and soon realised once she had entered the ‘Shit-Pit’ or the ‘Bubble’ as everyone likes to refer to it, she was naive and that was the rise and fall for her. The hardest thing for Mia personally was trying not to lose sight of herself because it was so easy to become like everyone else and feel seduced by the money, yet trying to sustain the job you have over there in order to keep earning that kind of money simply meant she would have to lose her integrity and self respect, that was not an option for her. Mia could have had a very lucrative career with prospects of promotion but only at a cost of herself and going against her own morals and principles. It is hard enough that we live in a world today where morals and principles are very few and far between. She just wasn’t in a rush to change hers or herself. There were times she could literally feel the whole ‘Bubble’ changing her, so having to struggle with herself not to lose sight of that, yet at the same time she had to struggle with the powers above, and the maliciousness of certain types of people that fed off her goodness and kind nature. Being good and honest confused these people, they couldn’t understand it, for them it was better ‘The Devil you know’ rather than deal with the unknown, that was the impression she got and she soon realised she was not only a target for the male vultures, but a game of power by the poisonous western women. People don't like to talk about the contracting world because it is seedy and corrupted through money, so a woman like Mia entering a man’s world, she quickly realised she held a lot of power which was simple, she had a vagina and that's all she needed, forget your resume and what it stands for, forget your experience and were it has got you, as a woman you don't need it regardless to what anyone says, women hold the power and it is through simple sexual manipulation, It's the most powerful tool to have in a world full of sexually frustrated men. The only way to survive out there in the ‘shit pit’ is simple, use the tool or get out, it's a game and if you don't play the game you won’t survive. If however you do survive without playing the game, you will suffer and there are many good women silently suffering over in the ‘bubble’ because there is only one rule, ‘You keep your mouth shut to what you see and hear’ Mia didn't train as a soldier to have courage and strength, to then have people try to take that away from her, she learnt the hard way but now she knew she was meant to learn the hard way because she has a voice and one that is not afraid to keep closed. Finding herself in very strange situations was hard because at times she tried to do the right thing, yet doing the right thing didn’t work. The more shit she saw happening to other people the more she wanted to help them so she started to nosey around. As a clerk you will be amazed at what you get to see and hear and as they say knowledge is power, I guess it was the journalist in her that took over, so she decided it was time to expose this world and the people in it. This is a diary account of Mia’s experiences and also the experiences of others who suffered too. Those who didn't have the courage to come forward or speak up or those who can't get the justice they deserve. Well here it is, this isn’t about wanting to change the world or even try and change the stupid game, this is simply about raising awareness of those people out there who destroy people’s lives and livelihoods simply because they can’t always get what they want, and to show shame they bring on their families, but most importantly the shame they bring on their own countries been visitors in Iraq. How can you help the Iraqi people when the majority of westerners out there are not only selfish cowards, but also use the vulnerable instability to believe they are above the law or can do what they want to another human being. In doing so they should simply remember one thing; what you do to others will one day come back to you, so if they think they have gotten away with what they did, think again. Life has a way of catching up with you, that’s the beauty of Karma and to all the companies out there, be careful, you just never know who’s already on the inside watching you. This is for people on the outside who need to start waking up to what’s really happening in Iraq, and to those who are still in the ‘bubble’ Mia can't give you the justice you deserve but just to tell her story, I really hope you find a little piece of mind from it.