Memoir Reflection Week 1

The memoirs that were presented on this week all had powerful messages about humanity and memory. Everyone's story is different and from each one a lesson is to be learned. The most impact-full stories to me this week were Lone Survivor, Two Kisses for Maddie, and A Long Way Gone.

In Lone Survivor, Marcus Luttrell tells his story of war and his internal conflicts. Marcus Luttrell deals with the internal conflict of faith in humankind. At the beginning his faith is shot down with the two sheep herders however his faith is then restored in his experience with lokhay. This stark contrast in the two types of people Luttrell dealt with in the war helps to break down stereotypes. This is very interesting because although Luttrell describes his attackers with racial slurs people of the same race protect him and return him to safety.

Two Kisses for Maddie is very different, this story tells of Matt Lauglin and how he deals with the birth of his daughter and the death of his wife in a 27 hour period. The main lesson that can be taken from this book is that life is unexpected and sometimes you just have to pick yourself up and roll with it. Lauglin's story is heart wrenching yet he finds solace in his newborn daughter and finds happiness in her. The book illustrated the two certainties in life: birth and death. It is important that the life in between those two things is lived well and to the fullest.

While Two Kisses for Maddie was heart wrenching, A Long Way Gone strikes a cord in the heart that is unforgettable. This is a story of Ishmael Baeh, a child soldier in Sierra Leon. He travels around the country fighting for what he believes is right leaving a path of death and destruction. While it is easy to believe that the problem of child soldiers is far away and unrelatable it is a very real problem. Child soldiers often find inspiration in American war films so in a way America is promoting a revolting social conflict. The world as a whole has a responsibility to protect humankind. The fact that these helpless children are suffering from a horrible,corrupt government is a testament to the fact that humankind has lost some of its conscience.Hopefully, the book will bring awareness to the cause and slowly people will start standing up for the cause and making a difference. Even if only one child is saved they can change the world. Just look at Ishmael Baeh.