In the heart of the passage is a series born from my love for books. Even though I feel I do not read enough, books bring me great joy. Reading draws you immensely into a story and its characters. The world and all its noise seem to shut off instantly. There are pages that tug at you more than others and they linger on long after you have finished reading the book. Here I will tell you a little about the passages I loved in a book and what made me grow to love them. Perhaps some of them are yours too.
Three Cups of Tea- Tea is significant to Pakistani culture it signifies a courtesy extended to guests and this book is full of meaningful conversations had over a cup of tea and the great feats it led to.
[Highlighted Excerpts taken for reference from Three Cups of Tea-Greg Mortenson and David Oliver Relin]
In this passage Mortenson decides that there could be something more meaningful he could do in his sister’s memory than climbing K2 to place a necklace. He takes it upon him to build a school. For him to say it with such conviction knowing how difficult the journey would be and how his story unfolds after that is remarkable.
This passage is beautiful of how the evening prayer and the muezzins cries somehow spoke to him directly and restored his faith and cleared all doubts. The description used here takes you to the place and the thoughts and feelings that Mortenson must have been going through. The prayers would be the first traditions among so many others that Mortenson grows accustomed to during his time there.
The most interesting and captivating chapter for me was “A smile should be more than a memory.” It describes his encounter with the Waziris, a tribe free-born, murderous, hot-headed and light hearted, self-respecting but vain. They were the underdogs and after being abducted by them, the passage that touched my heart was when at the end they gave Mortenson the funds to build schools something you would think they would be staunchly against. The celebration that followed lent a slightly humorous end to the frightening ordeal for Mortenson.
Mortenson would often inquire about the hopes and dreams of girls when he visited the schools. It was a proud moment when the first graduate of his first class felt it was her right to ask for tuition money to be a doctor. She needed help. She had the gusto to come waltzing into a circle of men breaking all tradition to ask Mortenson. She was the first educated woman in the valley. It indeed was a revolutionary moment. I loved this passage because education when targeted at the right places could bring about such positive change in the lives of children especially when they are deprived of it. Mortenson believed that education could give them a chance at a better life or they could even come back to help their own communities and contribute. We often take education for granted but it is a powerful tool to empower people with.
Greg Mortenson is an American professional speaker, writer, veteran, and former mountaineer. He is a co-founder and former executive director of the non-profit Central Asia Institute and the founder of the educational charity Pennies for Peace.
Greg Mortenson went to great lengths to build schools in remote villages across Pakistan and Afghanistan. It is wonderful the hardships you can face, the mountains you can climb, the friends you can make, the strength you can find and the lives you can touch over a cup of tea.