Beah's Influence

After all that Ishmael Beah has seen and been through, I find the demeanor and aura of his personality today the most inspiring. While searching for more information about him, I came across this quote, "If I choose to feel guilty for what I have done, I will want to be dead myself,
I live knowing that I have been given a second life, and I just try to have fun, and be happy and live it the best I can." I found these words to be both astonishing and encouraging.
Amidst all the horror and suffering Ishmael experiened, good has emerged over evil. It would have been so easy for him to let the weight of the situation he was in keep him down. Against all odds, Ishmael was able to claw his way out of Sierra Leone and begin a new life in the United States. By looking at Ishmael today, one would have no idea of the pain and agony he has felt in his realitively short life. In nearly every single photograph or interview I saw of him, he always had a smile on his face. After what he has been through, it amazes me that he is able to get up each morning and look at himself in the mirror. He killed. Not just once, but over and over and over again. He was a murderer. He slayed innocent lives. It takes a truely special person to be able to put your past behind you and move on with your life. Like he says, he knows what he did. He knows he was a killer. When I first read his quote, I was kind of taken aback. My first reaction was, 'What? He doesn't feel guilty! How can he not!' but after giving it some thought, I realized what he was trying to say. I have a great amount of respect for him because of his commitment to help those who were just like him. He doesn't have to do what he is doing.
His quote gives us all a message of hope. No matter how terrible things seem, we must perservere and fight our way through. No good comes from feeling sorry for yourself.
I really would have loved to go listen to him speak. After listen to our discussion on friday, it seems like I missed out on a special opportunity. I wish I would have had the chance to see him in person and see if I got the same upbeat, kind, and genuine vibe I felt listening to him online.
((Alan))