count your blessings

Over supper just now, my sister showed me an assignment discussing about poverty and hunger. The picture, with a short write up was included.

Googled abit more and read about some other photos this photographer had and one of them was on necklacing.



Basically a form of execution that burns you for 20 minutes before you die. He spoke of the image 'I was appalled at what they were doing. I was appalled at what I was doing. But then people started talking about those pictures... then I felt that maybe my actions hadn't been at all bad. Being a witness to something this horrible wasn't necessarily such a bad thing to do.'

Reading and seeing pictures in the comforts of your own home may not compare to being the one behind the camera and taking such thought-provoking photographs. Kevin Carter committed suicide and he left a note.

"I am depressed ... without phone ... money for rent ... money for child support ... money for debts ... money!!! ... I am haunted by the vivid memories of killings and corpses and anger and pain ... of starving or wounded children, of trigger-happy madmen, often police, of killer executioners...I have gone to join Ken if I am that lucky." (Ken refers to Ken Oosterbroek, Carter's fellow photographer friend who was killed in a friendly fire. Both were South Africans working as photojournalists)

So when you next complain you are broke or when you are hungry, think about these people. Count your blessings.