Scott and I found this story on a bookshelf in Singapore. Anxious for something to read on our travels, I never expected to be drug through this brutally honest and horrific account of a boy soldier, written by Ishmael Beah himself.
At the age of twelve, Ishmael fled the attacking rebel group in Sierra Leone and began wandering with a small group of young boys. He witnessed every member of his family experiencing torturous death, and fought to survive every day. His encounters with wild pigs, sand hot enough to burn off his flesh, and personal encounters with the violent rebel group, Ishmael's life was a constant battle. At age 13 he was picked up by the army, and Ishmeal, born with a gentle heart, discovered that he too was capable of committing truly terrible acts. It was amazing for me to read about his internal transformation. I truly believe that each individual is responsible for their own feelings and behaviors. That being said, Ishmael had not been taught moral principles, had no support, and he did what he was trained to do. It made me think about how the Nazis came to be. Eventually he was released by the army and sent to a UNICEF rehab center. There, Ishmael struggled to regain his humanity and become a civilian. Through therapy, funding, and people Ishmael considers true friends, he was able to mentally escape the trap he was stuck in, and physically escape the war zone where he was raised. Ishmael now has a bachelor of arts in political science and lives in New York City as a member of the Human Rights Advisory Committee.
Learning about the goings-on in Sierra Leone while watching true poverty in Malaysia and Cambodia was hard to do. I often wondered why I was born in America, into a good home, with a family who loves me. Why did I grow up with a security system at my house? Food to eat every day? Lessons to attend and talents to develop? Why can't the little girl hunched beside the Greyhound bus in Tanah Negara, Malaysia enjoy the same freedoms and blessings that I do? Why did Ishmael have to run every day from a rebel group who sought his life? Why am I so lucky? So blessed? I don't know why I have the life I do, but after reading this book, I felt more committed to follow the direction given in D&C 82:3 "Unto whom much is given, much is required." I must work every day to live worthy of the blessings I have been given.
1 comment:
It's great when because we can read and have access to the way the other 90% lives, that we can be touched and make changes and commitments that cause us to not only be more grateful but to pay it forward and live better lives than we otherwise would have led!
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