"It's Hard Learning About Life..."--A photo-essay from 9NEWS anchor, Gary Shapiro and photojournalist, John Kuhrt

It's hard - learning about life. Life can be cruel, even when you're 16. 16 year olds should be thinking about prom and graduation and friends. Friends should be getting together to have fun - not to mourn other friends. Yes, it's hard learning about life.

It's hard - watching people suffer. When the suffering, makes so little sense. Senseless images of terror - and grief. Grieving mothers and fathers, in disbelief.

	It's hard - trying to do a job. When that job - involves guns, bombs and kids. The kids deserve the best in us. The best in us was seen many times over.Over there - where brave police officers risked their lives.
	Over there - where students and teachers became true heros. It was truely the best in us - but it wasn't easy. It's hard trying to do a job. It's hard learning about life. Life can be so unfair, its lessons so cruel.Cruelty can't win out - you have to fight back.

You have to keep teaching right and wrong. You have to keep hoping, it will finally sink in. It's what those who never made it out of that school deserve. It's what we know in our hearts to be true. But it won't be easy.
It's hard learning about life.