I was walking through the long bronze gates as I could see plenty of various people; Martin Luther King Jr, Nelson Mandela, even Mahatma Gandhi was there. As I lift my foot to begin my approach towards the people, a tug pulled me back. Ugh it won’t let go, it is yelling something I can’t understand . Sounds like it’s saying...BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! As I jumped out of my bed to snooze the alarm on my iPhone to look at the clock. Shoot! It’s late! I look at the date to make sure today is really the day. Yep, May 24, 2011. I can hear the noise of the faucet rush down into the drain as my older sister moistens her toothbrush and the showerhead turning on as my little brother is getting ready to clean himself. Man I’m tired. My mom strolls passed to my room to see that I’m still in bed,”Get up! We’re gonna miss our flight”. I quickly get out of my bed, wash up, get dressed and kiss my bed goodbye. “Man I’m gonna miss that thing” I say to myself. I rush downstairs and jump straight into the car and within 5 minutes, I fall asleep. I wake up just in time to see the large LAX symbol as we are about to enter the tunnel. This wasn’t my first time here by any means but it was always exciting to witness. I get down, grab my carry on, and walk towards the check in area. We check in and sooner rather than later I was on the airplane.
16 hours later ...
We landed. The United Arab Emirates. It was 5:30 am yet it was still so hot. As we await our 24 hour layover flight, we explore the beautiful city of Dubai from the Burj Khalifa to the Burj al Arab. But our time was limited and back to the airport we go. Back onto the airplane and onto our next stop.
3 hours later ...
We landed. The Kingdom of Jordan. It was about 10 am but it wasn’t hot. However we still weren’t done traveling. We go to the Jordan/Palestinian border so we can cross it. Normally you would fly into the airport in Palestine, but Israel does not allow Palestinian citizens to land there.
10 hours later ...
We crossed the border and now I’m in Palestine. Time to knock out.
2 weeks later ...
It’s a cool summer night as the breeze ran down my neck, the booming noise of the speakers can be heard all throughout the village. My cousins and I decided to see who was getting married this time. As we walk past the scent of the fresh falafel and joyous laughter of the men playing cards, we arrive at our destination. The singer is
Maher Halabi, well known all across the Middle East. The sound of the dance floor as
the families celebrate the festivities marriage brings joy to all. Just when we least
expected it, everything went downhill. The rumblings of the pebbles and gasps of the
people only meant one thing, they were here. Four IDF (Israeli Defense Force) army
trucks pull up to the venue with only one intention: to harm. The joyous laughter
suddenly turned into frightening shrieks as smoke filled the air and flashes of white
surrounded us. Shivers run down my spine as you hear, “Get the women and children
out of here!” In the blink of an eye, I was being carried off by a man whose face was
too blurry to see. I woke up the next morning thinking it was all a dream; yet indeed
was not. Fast forward 7 years and I’ve realized what was going on. Although I’ve
faced one trauma, millions of Palestinians have faced hundreds.
Having a reality check at such a young age however definitely benefited me. Early on in my life I was able to identify what our world is. To go from a naive kid at age 9 to a 9 year old who realized that the world isn’t what I thought it was, toughened me up. Learning to be grateful and humble for your lifestyle, because somewhere out in the world, somebody has it way worse than you. Learning to be the best version of myself not only to better myself but others around me. Learning to understand the struggles of others and being able to help them with that whether it’s a friend or even a refugee. Human success does not unite us, it’s our struggles that do. If we all help each other realize that obstacles are merely stepping stones to a better future, then the world MLK, Mandela, and Gandhi all wished for, would come alive.
Having a reality check at such a young age however definitely benefited me. Early on in my life I was able to identify what our world is. To go from a naive kid at age 9 to a 9 year old who realized that the world isn’t what I thought it was, toughened me up. Learning to be grateful and humble for your lifestyle, because somewhere out in the world, somebody has it way worse than you. Learning to be the best version of myself not only to better myself but others around me. Learning to understand the struggles of others and being able to help them with that whether it’s a friend or even a refugee. Human success does not unite us, it’s our struggles that do. If we all help each other realize that obstacles are merely stepping stones to a better future, then the world MLK, Mandela, and Gandhi all wished for, would come alive.
29 comments:
Your writing sent shivers down my spine, I cannot believe you had to go through such a scary event. Many families have to deal with tragedy like what occured to you daily, a generation of individuals have seen nothing but war, I envy that even through the event that you endured, you still manage to be unique and even teach those around to be humble.
What a great story! I really loved the way you chronologically structured your story. In the beginning, everything was very quick, and from a reader's perspective, I really got that feeling that you were always on your feet and that there were 60000 things happening all at once. I totally feel the struggle about waking up late for a flight; it happens to me all the time! I also really enjoyed how you described your observations landing in Dubai with the Burj Khalifa and crossing the Palestinian/Jordan border. I had a very similar experience when you mentioned how you felt more "grateful and humble" for being in America. While living in China, I felt the exact same things and I become more aware of my surroundings.
It's sad to hear that you were exposed to the horrors of the world during a joyous event and at such a young age. Your use of scent and sound imagery made it easy to understand what you were experiencing during the wedding. As I was reading, I went from having an immense craving for falafel to feeling resentment towards those in the IDF army truck who interrupted the wedding. I completely agree with your statement, "Human success does not unite us, it's our struggles that do", and will be referring to it and your experience at this wedding. It's interesting to see how this experience as a nine-year-old has shaped your morals, and your storytelling has made the readers learn from your experiences as well.
Wow! I love everything about this piece. You started it out with a happy and positive vibes as you describe your excitement in traveling to a different country then to an adventurous one when you saw the beautiful scenery of the Burj Khalifa and to a funny tone when you and your cousin are waiting to see who's getting married this time but you ended it in a somber tone when you witnessed a very traumatic event in your life which was very unpredictable. I admire you and how courageous you are for sharing this story in your life even though it was a very traumatic event for you.
The sequential order of the piece gives the reader a well rounded feel of the situation and how things escalated. The overall message which an be retrieved from this piece is both universal and essential. Great job! - Simerpreet Dhesi
What a crazy thing to happen to a child that most wouldn't realize till later. I really enjoyed the ongoing timeline that was short and simple while also giving the reader the necessary information. I felt that it caused suspense and gave impact to the climax of your writing!
Wow what a story. Never in a million years could i have thought that this would've happened to someone i know. Not only did you tell the story in a clear and compelling way but you also reflected on it and explained what it meant for your and how it has shaped your worldview up to this point in your life. The way in which you used the timeline sequence let me get a greater, more complete picture of your message through this piece of writing. Great Job!
Very attention-grabbing! I love how you broke this event into chronological segments and you finished it off with a closer discussing how this effected your perspective of the world while you were growing up. Your contrast in tone between the very beginning of the piece (idolatrous) and the end (horrific) really highlight how you've come to realize that the world wasn't what it seemed to be.
I love this piece. Losing someone is a tragedy I would not wish upon anyone and accept my condolences. This piece was very well structured, and overall had a very personal feel. Well done! :)
This is very well-written! I love how you broke it down with what exactly you were doing. You are so courageous for sharing this story and thank you. You are a very strong person. This piece is amazing and I enjoyed reading it.
This was a very interesting piece to read. I like how you described your experience as a story. The contrast between the joy of the wedding and the sudden terrifying arrival of the army trucks make this piece very powerful. Thank you for sharing your story. Great job!
I like how your writing was able to make me feel like I was actually in the story. I also liked how you talked about how there are many other people in the world that have it way worst than us. This caused me to just think about life for a minute and appreciate everything that I have.
-Dahrien Trotter
This really brings out the reality of the world, someone as young as you were or possibly even younger could have experienced this. I loved how you described your day as a normal day like any other but with a dark unexpected twist. I'm more happy to read your story and your experience overall, it was very well written with your structure and imagery.
Your piece was very enticing from beginning to end. The way you described your story and your use of imagery really drew me in and made me feel as if I was really there. The tone shift was an amazing aspect of your paper and helped lead to your overall message, also the structure of your piece was very intelligently created.
This piece as a whole was written well. I really enjoyed how every scene had a different take on the writer's life. It's hard discussing your personal life but this piece was amazing all together.
The writing in the beginning creates an easiness only to good to be true. The order by which an innocent beginning come to a disastrous ending enables us to see a part of the character and something horrible true in the world. I like the part where you stated it toughened your character rather than ruining their life. It's important to find strength in the worst situations in order to keep going.
Its so crazy that you actually went through this. The way you told it and the imagery you used really puts the reader in your shoes. You did a great job with the writing that i thought it was a fictional story. This really makes you open your eyes and realized that what we have is such a luxury and there are people out there that would love to be in our shoes. Such a good read!
Although it is terribly sad that children as young as your age experience these terrifying things, it inspires me how you used this tragedy to help you grow into an aware and strong person. Your writing is full of rich description which made me feel as if I was in your shoes, especially when you described the explosion and how you were scurried away.
I specifically remember the day I was reading your blog and you were right by me eating lunch. I was so intrigued after reading that I had to ask further questions to really hear about your experience myself. Not only is it admirable to know that you had such an eye-opening encounter at a very young age, it is also very important that you openly shared this with the world and your peers to give attention to the tragedies outside of this country. You had said it yourself, the flashback was like a movie. Your descriptions all in all definitely captured that, putting your reader in a position of panic, chaos, and confusion that I assume must have been going through your head as well. Your writing and approach to giving rise to "reality checks" really brings about major maturity and admiration.
To experience something like that at such a young age must be very humbling. I wasn't expecting such a horrific twist and the style you wrote it in really added to that. I really liked the reflection at the end and how the last sentence refers to the beginning of the story. - Tyler Denton
I really like the way that you opened your story with the dream. It was an interesting opener that caught my attention. The tone shift worked really well to reinforce your message. Overall a wonderful, chilling, and reality changing piece. Very cool!
- Nathan Sandoval
Salamah, your piece was extremely eye-opening. I never really knew the struggles that Palestinian's go to just to visit their hometowns. Your use of time to create a strong narrative was very smart as it allowed the story to easily flow and develop. Great job on this!
Your piece was truly a masterpiece of storytelling, you made the reader feel like they were actually in that environment. It is sad to read of the horrors that you faced as well other people across the world that might be going through similar situations. You did an amazing job however explaining how all os us humans are related in the fact that our struggles make us who we are and unite us together. Your piece was an outstanding example of self-reflection and documenting the struggles you faced and how ultimately it led you to becoming a better version of yourself. Overall an amazing read! - Yuan Maneje
Wow... this story could honestly be a movie and I'm not even joking or just saying that to be nice. The chronological arrangement of your story not only kept me hooked, but also helped build up suspense. The imagery also really helped me imagine what it would be like to go through that traumatic experience. I really like how you not only shared a deep personal story, but also did not keep it solely self centered and were able to relate it to problems that persist all around the world. It would be difficult for many, including myself, to put a positive spin on an experience like that, but your closing teaches the important lesson that the worst of times can make us stronger.
I absolutely adored the imagery that you utilized throughout the entire story. You drew me in with every sentence, every little detail was so enticing. The world can really be a dark place, and I’m really sorry that you had to go through that, especially at such a young age. Thank you for sharing your story! - Eddie Yanez
I can tell you put so much thought into this narrative as you transitioned on the time of the piece from hours to weeks later. It also had an effective message not only towards the audience, but to yourself in realizing a reality checks when things can be lumpy at times. I love this topic, keep it up Salamah!
Words do not express the effectiveness this piece had, most definitely broke my heart to read about the traumatic experience you phased. The organization of the piece was very well formatted but the details you included as a writer was intense. The imagery you exemplify in the beginning of the text was intriguing, as I reader I assume you were waking up from a dream and then wake up to deal with the reality of the cruel and distraught world. To add on you are a great writer especially connecting the beginning of the story to the end with a meaning beyond the text!
Reading your piece actually gave me a bit of surprise. I really enjoyed the introduction to what seems like a normal day for those who travel. However, as you added in your tone/mood change, the writing completely captivated me because it was able to open up my mind to what other social problems many people experience in other countries. Overall, your piece was really eye-opening and readers such as myself were able to sympathize for the rough events that you had to go went to. -Nathaniel Alvarado
Your story is very impactful, it’s outrageous how this single day had an effect towards your lifestyle and how it has changed your perspective from an innocent 9 year old to gaining knowledge of the cruelty in this world. Knowing how impactful and horrific this event was to you, I couldn’t imagine the everyday lives of these citizens.
-Stephanie Cabrera
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