He had already seen bullets wedged into the eyes of screaming children and shrapnel searing the flesh of babies as they breathed their last breaths. Samer, who was working as a volunteer medic at a local clinic, anxiously accepted that it was only a matter of time before the brutal enforcers came for him too. Many would be burned and blown apart, as bombs slammed into their bedrooms while they slept. Scores would be thrown into jails in the bowels of the earth, where they were subject to rape and torture. At any moment, anyone suspected of being part of the cadre opposing the Damascus overlords could be ripped from their homes and never seen again. And above all, I hope to instill what it means to rise above being a victim and into the terrain of survivor, and to seek inner peace long after the torment and war has subsided.īut from that very first barrage of bullets on the first day of their peaceful protests, the bloodshed and distrust only deepened. I hope to illuminate our ability to prepare for and push through a crisis as it dawns. In documenting the lives of a few of these individuals, I hope to shine a light on just how strong the human mind can be when it comes to holding on. The resilience to withstand the pain (both physical and psychological), to push through the darkness, and to find the thread of hope in the bundle of misery has left me both perplexed and inspired. I’ve often been struck by how these ordinary people, with no formal training or skills, are forced to become extraordinary at the drop of a hat - or a bomb.
#Shrouded in sanity crack cracked#
I’ve sat with people who’ve had their body parts surgically removed by aggressors, women who have been raped until they can no longer move, and children whose tiny bones have been cracked and crushed without mercy.īut for those who survive, the silver lining that shines through them is as miraculous as it is tragic. Over my years as a war reporter and war crimes investigator, I am often left in awe of the individuals I meet who have survived the most unfathomable things humans do to each other.