"Three Cups of Tea"

For my birthday, Sam surprised me (well, if you count keeping it a secret for at least 10 min.) with tickets to see a man named Greg Mortenson speak. So last night we had a real grown-up night out, meeting friends for dinner at our favorite Eugene restaurant and then going to see Greg at Mac Court. I first read his book, Three Cups of Tea, right after Morgan was born, when I was up nights nursing her. It was a fascinating story, very inspiring, and taught me a lot about that region of the world. Plus, it was a gigantic leap from the reality of new motherhood, so the story really had an impact on me. Sam recently read the book, so the timing of Greg's visit was perfect.

Greg Mortenson is a former mountaineer who has committed himself to building schools in rural mountainous regions of Pakistan and Afghanistan. He has built 50 some schools in central Asia against huge obstacles, in the midst of "wars on terror" and Taliban uprisings. His hope and central message is to spread peace through education, and I think we all know how much truth there is in that belief. War is a last (and sometimes necessary) resort, but education empowers and uplifts humanity in a way that nothing else can.

The book is very well written (co-authored by a writer from Portland, actually) and I highly recommend it if you haven't read it yet. At his presentation last night, Greg Mortenson basically reiterated what was in the book (although not quite as eloquently - he is probably a much better humanitarian and peacemaker than public speaker) but it was fascinating to listen to nonetheless. While Greg's message definitely inspires me to make a more positive impact on the world around me and learn more about the inequalities that exist around the globe, at the very least it makes me extremely grateful for the gifts of literacy, equal opportunities, and freedom that women have here in the United States. It makes me very hopeful for my daughter too, for not only will Sam and I make sure she is well educated, but that she is compassionate and appreciative of all the freedoms she will have in her life.