If you don’t already know the story of Malala, you MUST look it up!
She is amazing! I knew a little of her story, but absolutely loved reading the whole thing! I also read the children's story when I was babysitting and loved that as well! Especially the illustrations. You can find it here.
Since I am a teacher, a lot of her words deeply touched me. I even shared her story with my students because I was constantly in awe at how much she valued education insomuch that she would have given her life for it. Because she lived, she now has more power to make a difference in the lives of others and to provide them with education. We take so much for granted here in America where we have endless materials, books, desks, and teachers whereas in many places around the world only boys can go to school or they have to walk such far distances or don't have the proper materials to learn.
I hope that we can all have an attitude like Malala where we cherish the opportunities that are given to us and are grateful even for homework because it is a sign that we are gaining an education. When her family was taken from their home, she couldn't even imagine a world where she couldn't take her books.
She did an interview on The Ellen Show that I loved here
In the interview, Malala talks about how going to school really allows you to learn about yourself and opens your eyes to what talents you have, your strengths and weaknesses, and how you can then go on to bless your community.
I wholeheartedly believe in this! Brigham Young University's motto is:
I feel so grateful to have gone to a school that embodies this as well! The things we learn really do influence who we become and the influence we have on the world. We can be such a force for good if we remember what we have learned and share that with anyone that crosses our path.
Our discussion during book club revolved a lot around education in all forms. As a room full of GIRLS that are all college graduates, the life that Malala lives seems so far distant from anything we have ever experienced, but we talked about how there are those who earn a college degree to get a piece of paper and don't do a lot of learning and there are those that earn a college degree and come away with an education.
However, education can take on many different forms. It is not just sitting in a lecture hall taking notes about economics or writing papers about personal philosophies of psychology.
Education can be
-reading good books
-traveling and seeing different cultures
-having conversations with others
-going to museums and admiring art
-taking art or cooking classes
-trying something new
-hiking a mountain
-going on tours of government buildings
The list could go on and on! There are so many valuable skills we can acquire! I think it really is more about being open to new ideas and using what we learn that really qualifies someone for being educated. And sometimes learning from life can teach us far more than a formal degree ever could.
I think it is important for us all to be advocates for education and to support our government in allowing its people to become educated, as well as taking opportunities for ourselves, and inspiring our children to do the same.
Having an education is by far the greatest asset any of us can have as we use our knowledge to further our success and character, as well as contribute to society.
As a side note, there was also a political side to this book. I find that it is just as important as the education part because the government was the reason for Malala's fight for education. The law restricted girls from attending school.
When I was in Jerusalem, I grew such a love for the people there and for their commitment to their religions. However, I know that in other parts of the Middle East, there is no freedom. I was very humbled as I read Malala's side of what was happening in her world as the War on Terror ensued. I saw that America didn't always do that right thing and that even though their end goal was justified, they way they went about it was not right. The people in Pakistan had nothing to do with Sadam Hussein and Osama bin Laden, yet their world was being turned upside down, their cities destroyed, their houses abandoned as our country fought so violently to have these men destroyed. Majority of the people in these Middle Eastern countries were completely innocent bystanders. People who loved their country, the lives, families, and even their culture despite some of the restrictions based on gender.
I just hope that we can see people for who they are and to focus more on individuals, rather than clump whole races of people together and claim that they all believe the same things and would act radically. Mostly, we just need to L O V E and come together as we fight for things that really do matter in this world.
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