If eyes are the window to the soul, these would be the very soul of long-suffering–& perhaps of hopelessness too. This very young Afghan man is a coal worker in Kabul working outdoors on a dangerous, unhealthy job during a bitterly cold winter.

Some philosophies talk about cultural differences as though they were impenetrable & made solidarity between human beings impossible. But anyone of any culture who’s worked a dead-end, low-paying, miserable job like this, with no rights & no future, knows exactly how this man feels. He’s one of ours.