The Faces of Death

I remember as a teenager, I was fixing Ricky’s laptop one day. My fingers typed away on the keyboard, trying to make sense of the overwhelming digital mess his computer had become. And there, hidden among the clutter, was a file that caught my eye. It was a video, something graphic and twisted, far from what my innocent teenage mind could have ever imagined. It was a terrorist beheading video, and it shook me to my core. At first, I was haunted. Nightmares clouded my sleep, with gruesome images etched into my mind’s eye. But there was something intoxicating about it – an allure I couldn’t quite shake. So, I returned to the video, again and again, watching it over and over. Each time, the horror seemed to dull, replaced with a numbness that became almost comforting. Somehow, this macabre content had become a dark coping mechanism, a way for me to shield myself from the harsh realities that the world had to offer. In those days, you had to dig deep to find such content, joining members-only websites like Faces Of Death, Documenting Reality, and Rotten.com to get your fix of gore. But now, it’s as if the floodgates have opened. With just a tap on your phone, you’re bombarded with horrific images and videos, death and destruction a daily staple in our media consumption. I still catch myself scrolling through WorldStarHipHop occasionally, but I’m more conscious about the content I consume. I’ve realized that starting my day with the weight of such dark and depressing material takes a toll on my mood, and ultimately, my creativity. My life revolves around creation, and every piece of content I produce, whether it’s a blog post, a video, or a song, is an extension of my journey. I don’t contribute to the dark cloud that looms over this world; I try my best to create stories that heal, inspire, and uplift. This realization has become a compass, guiding me through each day, reminding me of my purpose. No longer do I seek solace in the shadows, but rather in the light that fills the hearts and minds of those I’ve met along this bumpy road.