The Kite Runner

My blog topics have ranged from semi-serious to outright foolishness. All have their places in blogs, that can't be denied. I hope this one does too.

I recently finished one of the most powerful books I have had the good fortune to be brought to my attention. Its called The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini. It traces the life of an Afghani man till shortly after 9/11.

The universal themes this book touches upon are instantly identifiable as our human condition. I did not come of age seeing an ancient, beautiful country and civilization that was my own, being torn to shreds due to geopolitical and economic conditions. It is truly heart wrenching to know that so much human suffering never enters into our consciousness, with our adjacent worries of mortgages, marriages and children. This book has forever altered my perspective on how blessed my life is and how many things in it that I have subsequently taken for granted. If I continue to do this, I show contempt and ignorance of human suffering when I should know better. This book has helped me reach a place where I pray to God I never forget.

Sometimes, perhaps too infrequently, our country does something right. We assuredly got it right when we made the effort to remove the Taliban and their putrid criminal government out of Afghanistan. Imagine, if you will, an entire nation being systemtaically terrorized and brutalized by a fanatical criminal organization. Nazism anyone? This one we got right people.

What can we do? We can donate money to worthy causes, we can educate ourselves about what the Afghani people have endured, we can pray. All are worthy of consideration. All can help.

People often wonder if they would be doing something different if their lives had evolved on a different path. I've done it, I'm pretty sure you might have also. It is what it is and I'm truly grateful for all beauty and wonderment in my life. I'm a blessed person, as I mentioned earlier, living a very fortunate life in a very safe corner of a dangerous world. If I was under a different set of circumstances,I pray that I would have the faith and the courage to go to Afghanistan and help some fellow human beings who deserve our help, love and admiration. I will include Afghanistan in my thoughts and my prayers from now on.....