Like everything else in this class, this book was an eye-opener and a huge heart-wrenching story. Ishmael is an incredible person. I can't imagine going through something as horrific as what he went through and still be able to live and function later. I suppose that's just survival instincts kicking in that allow a person to find the courage to go on, and to live throughout all he lived through. At the very beginning of the book when he said that he was only 12 years old when the news of the war came around. I thought of myself at 12 and trying to imagine how mature I'd have to be to cope with the thought of war around the corner, I know I wouldn't have been ready.
Ishmael wasn't raised up to be a warrior, he wasn't raised up to mature faster than most boys, and he certainly wasn't raised up to be able to cope with what he had to endure. When he described his first flush of injured people my heart broke. It broke for him, and it broke for the people that were directly involved. I feel so shielded and protected, as if nothing bad can happen to me, but in reality war could start any day, and more than likely the people that were injured, killed, or brought into the war thought the same thing. The lady with the baby on her back just killed me. I can't imagine what that would do to a person psychologically to know you have to run for your life and your baby and your baby ended up shielding you... gah..
When Ishmael and his brother's group of boys wandered aimlessly for food and refuge I also ached for them. I can only imagine how scared people were and how afraid of outsiders they would be. The fact that their group of boys were still able to find food amazes me! I know people have to do what's necessary, but it still was incredible to see how brave these boys were, or how naive they were.
Another part towards the beginning of the book I kinda related to was when he stayed in the jungle for a month or two, I can't remember how long he was in it now, but the fact that he was able to stay sane, after seeing what he saw, not having anybody to talk to, and really not knowing what to do with himself. It's quite impressive that someone that young could survive with no training.
When Ishmael and his soldier family dealt with their experiences by taking drugs I was just in complete shock, I didn't know what was going to come next. For me, I thought, this poor boy...he was so innocent and then was dragged into Hell on Earth basically. It just killed me.
As a future teacher I constantly worry about how I am going to deal with "broken" kids. Kids who come from abusive pasts, or currently being abused. I worry I won't know how to help them cope, it's my biggest fear in becoming a teacher, but it's also the number one reason why I am becoming a teacher. For Ishmael's case, I kept asking myself throughout the book, how I as a teacher, would ever be able to help him cope with his past and be able to move on in a positive way. I remained speechless, I guess God would give me the words I need if the time came, but to think about the people who worked directly with these child soldiers, my heart goes out for them. I can't imagine what they have to hear, see, and cope with on a daily basis.
This war didn't end to long ago, yet it feels like I'm talking about the Civil War, I suppose that's how humans cope with things, we throw the hard memories and occurrences as far away as we can. If it didn't affect us then we don't want it to affect us now. Experiencing Ishmael's childhood through this text, I don't think I will ever forget this war, or the people in Sierra Leone who were affected by the cruelty of it.
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