Forum 8- Addario Parts III and IV

I enjoyed Ch. 10 out of the other chapters because in the very beginning she starts off the chapter of her romantic getaway with Paul and the detail in the description of her vacation was very opposite of what most of the novel had been.

In this chapter we see a different side of Lynsey, as side that she had thought would never exist in her life. An opportunity for marriage and with someone who knew all she did in her job and still wanted to be with her even if she was barely home. The simple fact that she did not have to change her profession or how she went about stories and started discussing them with her fiance, was compelling. I love the part of the chapter where her and Dex meet with a Taliban leader Haji Namdar and he allowed them to interview for the New York Times. She states (pg. 199) "some men shielded their faces when I turned my camera on the; others didn't flinch. And some were proud to be photographed for the most important American newspaper in the world. They might have been illiterate fighters, but most insurgents understood the influence of the New York Time on the U.S. government." This specific quote resonated with me because it is so true, everyone knows what the New York Times is and how influential they are to military. The fact that these people wanted to behead westerners but agreed to do an interview only with journalist from the New York Times showed just how important this paper was to not only the journalist but to everyone around the world.

My favorite photo from this chapter is was the one of the Marines who are gathered around a casket of another Marine who in southern Afghanistan, 2010. (pg. 210-211). This is my favorite photo because it depicts what we as military members, unfortunately, face. In war we always have the mindset that we are either going to get out of this alive or dead and even though that is how our minds work, death is always something that we can never prepare for. I liked this picture because I appreciate Lynsey not being biased about war and who is on what side but that she captures everything and on each side, everyone is suffering.

What I have learned from not only Addario, but this class is that there are stories everywhere waiting to be discovered. Some stories are comfortable and easy and others are intense and take a lot of preparation but every story is worth it. I also learned to be more confident and sometimes you will get a "no" and that is okay. I've humbled myself in my picture taking abilities and realized the more I take pictures the better I will become. This class has done a great job with preparing me for my future and allowing me to bush my own boundaries that I was not aware existed but also to just enjoy what I am doing and not be so critical when I am barely beginning.