Ishmael Beah

To say I was a little unhappy about going to see Ishmael Beah speak was about the right way to describe it. Nothing against the guy, but I didn't really want to go. However, when I actually got there my feelings were changed. I found his presentation very interesting. Hearing the voice behind the words in the book was certainly a really awesome experience.
One thing I really enjoyed about it was how normal he seemed. I caught myself staring at him as a whole and thinking, "this guy has killed people". Someone who has taken another human's life was standing right there. Now I'm not religious, but I found myself wondering, "if there's a God, and one of his commandments says you won't kill, is it possible to forgive this person for what he has done?" Now, I don't want to start a religious debate, but I found that thought interesting. Another thing I really enjoyed was how Americanized he was. I know he's been here for nearly ten years, but just to see how he's adapted after hearing his stories of cold and his airplane flights and now how he says he's disappointed with the current state of Hip Hop music (a good choice I might add), to how he commented on Kanye West, it's just amazing to read and see the transformation he's gone through. This is one amazing man who has set out to do some good work. If I get the chance to see him again, I'll be going.