How is it that some books leave an impact on us? The remnants of the book stay behind in our behind, and we find ourselves in awe of such a book. But is it possible, that some books, although normally good, feel extraordinarily good in certain situations?
A trip to India (Bombay to be specific) left me thinking about so much. I go there every couple of years - my extended family resides there - and my parents insist on us taking a trip there. I didn't realize what a difference two years can make at my age or point in life - but it certainly did. I'm in a much different position today than I was two years ago, for one, I have been soul searching. And boy is India a place to make you think!
Coincidentally, I happened to start a book called "Three Cups of Tea" while in India. I had this book for a while, but something in me decided to start reading it only at the beginning of my trip. I have summarized this book on my other blog (http://bookscometolife.blogspot.com/), so I won't go into that here, but I will say that the whole book is about an American man in the remote mountain villages of Pakistan helping the poor kids there get educated.
I happened to be an American woman in India shopping and eating at fancy places. The book made me more aware of what was truly going around me. Now, I was born in India, and have been there many, many times since immigrating to the US as a kid. But, somehow, I was never innately tuned in to the poverty and lack of education although I had seen it before. Somehow reading the book during my trip made me aware of so much more, made me aware of life and the lack thereof.
The best thing I took away from Mortenson's book wasn't that he helped poor children in "Pakistan" but that he helped poor children desperately in need. Being from a family that has deep rooted feelings against Pakistan because of the Partition of 1947, this seemed like an usual thought for me to be having. But I realized in my heart, that I was being my American self. It isn't about what culture or country we help, it is the fact that some children are being educated so they have what it takes to make smart choices. It is the race against terrorism and hatred. Believe it or not, terrorism is an extreme form of hatred, and hatred does not reside just in the Middle East or in "Muslim" countries - that in and of itself is hatred - the rest of the world generalizing in that form. I remember when I was a child and the racism I faced as an Indian in my American school - kids had never seen someone of my color before - and I'm not even as dark as most Indians! They made fun of trivial things like my accent and I began to hate the country my parents moved me to. But over time I was educated in the same school as those kids, and we all became more tolerant and aware of each other. A sense of respect grew, and by the time I reached my adulthood I loved my country, the same one I had hated because of ignorance.
Education is such a big cornerstone of life, and is so readily available in the United States, that perhaps we take it for granted. Some of the greatest minds have come from poor countries in the Middle East, India and other parts of Asia. Yet, most of these countries remain poor and are known as "developing." Why is that I wonder? I suspect after Greg Mortenson's book, that it is nothing other than the lack of education. The lucky few in these countries get educated - those whose parents have the money to pay for school, or those whose parents have some connections. But what about the average person? Everyone can go to school in the US, no matter their economic ability. Why should the child's education suffer, especially in countries that need it most, for the sake of their parent's finances? We feel hatred and spite towards those terrorists who terrorize the rest of the world and even give up their lives for their jihadist missions. But, does anyone stop to think, what if that terrorist, as a child had been given a choice? What if instead of a militant lifestyle and guns this child had been given school books and the ability to learn math, science, history, etc.?
These are big questions to ask, and problems that have faced our world and generation for quite some time now. But I will tell you, read Mortenson's book - It inspired me, and truly made me believe that one person can certainly make a difference. Coincidence or not, I was faced with what I saw as an opportunity to do my part when I was in India. My mom in conversation with me told me that the maid my grandmother kept to help her cook and clean during some hours of the day wanted to send her son to a good school. The school was asking for a huge sum just to have him admitted if he passed the interview. (Her son is like 6 years old btw) Apparently the maid knew my grandma couldn't afford to give her more than she paid her monthly, and had approached my mom for help since the bank wouldn't give her a loan on her maid's salary. My mom had meant to only ask for my opinion, but instead, I thought of Greg and how he had to desperately seek funds and work his butt off for the sake of Korphe's children. This was no Korphe, but it was one child - one child who I knew would be smart enough to get in to the school, but whose parents couldn't afford to send him there. Within seconds of thinking about the book, I had told my mom to tell the maid to not worry - I would put up half the money. Being a student I couldn't afford the whole thing, and barely the half, but upon seeing my determination to help, my mom decided to help too. (See, one person can make a difference). After coming back I found out the maid had cried in thankfulness for the money, and her son passed the interview. Who knows, maybe that boy will be the next big genius in India.. or maybe he will be one more educated, hatred-less, boy in the world.
