Blog #4

I believe in the saying "that which does not kill us makes us stronger". However, I think for this to apply to somebody's situation they have to have the motivation and driving force to move on and become stronger. In Saidu's case, he was not referring to his inability to move on when he talked about the inevitability of his death. He was saying that he no longer had the desire to move forward, and he chose to give up. Human beings are amazing, and if we set our mind to it, we can weather any storm, but we must be fully committed to survival. There is no shame in choosing to give up, as Saidu did- but it is a sad thing when someone has lost so much faith in humanity that they would choose death over continuing their life with us. In response to the prompt- "Are there some things that just kill us slowly instead of building our strength?" I would say that it doesn't depend on the situation or "thing". The answer to this question depends on the attitude of the person. If the individual faces hardships with the strong desire to move on and without even a remote possibility of giving up, then there is no limit to what they can overcome. However, if someone is in Saidu's situation, where they have no desire to live and nothing to live for, every little thing will break them down until they have nothing left to hold on to. 

Blog #3

When Ishmael Beah is traveling through war- struck Sierra Leone with his 5 friends, every stranger they come upon is afraid of them, because they think they may be rebels. Beah writes, “This was one of the consequences of the civil war. People stopped trusting each other, and every stranger became an enemy.” I think that every child or teenager can relate to this feeling, because we are taught from a young age to fear strangers. Terms like "don't talk to strangers" and "stranger danger" are drilled into our head from the very beginning. It has gotten to the point where any middle aged man standing alone is automatically a pedophile or a rapist. When I was at the movies with my brother one time, a man in his thirties dropped his cell phone just before walking to his theater. When I went to pick it up and return it to him, my brother stopped me and instead returned it himself. This makes me sad, that we automatically have to be cautious around strangers. However, bad things happen. When people with the intent to harm abuse our trust, it makes everyone a stranger to be feared, not a neighbor to be trusted. This situation is the same throughout Ishmael's journey, but the stakes are much higher, and the chance of the stranger being intent on harming you is much more likely. 

Blog # 2

“Whenever I get a chance to observe the moon now, I still see those same images I saw when I was six, and it pleases me to know that that part of my childhood is still embedded in me” (p. 17) Ishmael Beah has, in many ways, been robbed of his childhood. From the age of 13, until he was 17, he was living in a war- filled country, and forced to do whatever he can to survive. The only way he was able to console himself was by focusing on the things that had nothing to do with his desperate situation. The moon would always stay the same, and that is why it is of great comfort to him. It also brings him memories of his grandmother who looked at the moon as an ideal, something to strive for. Ishmael also draws great comfort from his brother, Junior. the role of a big brother is extremely important, because you know they will always protect you. I also take great comfort in knowing my bolder brothers will always be there to stand up for me and protect me. All in all, the things that console Ishmael happen to be universal truths- finding images in the moon, advice from a loving grandmother, and being consoled by an older brother. These little things are what connect our lives to that of children like Ishmael. Although our reasons for needing comfort and consolation differ vastly in degree, we all find comfort in the little things.

Blog #1- Soldier Child (1998)

In class, we were shown the documentary "Soldier Child", released in 1998. Although this was an overwhelming amount of disturbing information to take in, it was extremely worthwhile to watch, and it has possibly touched the most out of any other documentary I've seen. This documentary is filmed at GUSCO- a rehabilitation center for former child soldiers that were lucky enough to be rescued or escaped. It features interviews with the GUSCO workers, parents of abductees, and former child soldiers themselves. GUSCO not only rescues the children, they give them medical attention, a place to stay, emotional and psychological help, and safe integration back into society- as well as tracking many children's parents down. Although GUSCO's efforts made me hopeful for this terrible situation that is taking place in these children's homeland, it also saddened me. Although I am grateful for the chance to be informed, I almost wish that I could remain ignorant to this terrible issue. When I first began watching this documentary, I was shocked by the children who were just being brought to the center. They didn't have at all the disposition that I would have expected from a child that was finally saved from such a terrible former situation. They seemed distrustful and weary. As I continued watching I realized that until they received trauma counseling for the things they had seen and done, many weren't even able to accept that they had been through any trauma. Once they knew they were safe and they had adjusted their surroundings they began to reflect on what had happened to them through drawing pictures. This made me realize how strong the children were- to just take everything in stride and move on to the next problem. They were emotionally resilient as a result of their training. This touched me, because this suppression of feelings is never something one should see in a child, no matter what the circumstance. There was one child with a particularly taking story, that of a child named Simon. Simon was only 11 years old when he was rescued, probably younger when he was abducted. He was immediately forced to witness two brutal murders, and threatened with the burning of his former village. He was then given a person to kill just using a hoe. While his story is immensely tragic and heartbreaking, what struck me the most was the child himself. While telling his story, he refused to show emotion. There were no tears, apart from a slightly choked voice. He kept his tone level, and never raised or lowered his volume. He rarely made eye contact with his translator and mostly stared off into the distance. This is not what a child should look like while telling a heartbreaking story. He never complains that its not fair, he doesn't whine or pout. Simon may only be eleven years old, but he is not a child. His childhood was taken from him by the rebels, and he is left a boy who has witnessed more than should ever be subjected to a man.