ID and Passport
My old friend told me that when he was returning from Iraq he couldn't really visit our friends in Europe. He wasn't himself. He had an entirely different identity provided for him by the Government. His military ID and Passport had a different name. It would have been to confusing to meet our friends in Europe. How would he explain this fully-realized cover story? It was better for him to control his environment, control the people he knows, keeping away from the people he's known. The day I became privy to this I wondered. I wondered how many cover stories there really were all around me. I was afraid to ask, really. Since everyone is from somewhere else, how much do we really know about anyone else? I mean, I know about lying to the ladies at the bar about your name and what you do, but this is a much larger issue. To be issued an entirely different life that you have to keep weeded and watered. A dangerous life spawned to protect your family and your friends.