"CHILD'S CROSSING"

Coming from a place like Colorado, I'm accustomed to seeing signs riddled with bullet holes, and--to be honest--I've never paid much attention to them. But in Bosnia, this crossing sign really put into perspective the whole "Sniper Alley Experience" that the people in Sarajevo had to endure. I was working in an area were sniper activity had been very active during the siege. The surreal energy I felt standing on that street made the sign come alive. I watched children running for their lives. I could hear the screams, see the image of the young boy found dead on the pavement who--just minutes before--was collecting water to take home. It was as if the pail of water he was carrying had hit the flame of a lit candle and now there was only darkness. I've never been affected by a sign the way this sign affected me, and I have not experienced that energy again after my return home.

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