A book I listened to in 2007, entitled "A Thousand Splendid Suns" and written by Khaled Hosseini has come back to mind due to recent current events. It is a fiction novel with factual historical events in its pages. I believe their has been talk of a Netflix movie based on the book but I am not aware if has been made yet. The story is set in the country of Afghanistan and spans a time frame from the late 1970s to the early 2000s. When I listened to it, I found myself comparing what was going on in my life during the events of the characters lives in the story at the various points in time. Therefore part of the reason I liked the book is that I am about the right age to compare the two societies for the point in history the story takes place. Two women's lives (Mariam and Lailia) are followed from their childhoods and they find their existence weaved together as they marry the same man. Living in the same household they become very good friends. The husband is abusive to them and after a foiled attempted to flee the marriage the abuse becomes even more intense. Unable to obtain a change of environment, things finally escalate to the point where the husband is in the process of choking Lailia to death. As she slips from consciousness Mariam obtained the shovel from the shed and in one fell swoop kills the husband. This is the turning point of the story. Prior to that point everything had been going from bad to worse for these two women but when they grasp control and initiated change their life was transformed. Even though it was through execution, Mariam was freed of her bondage, and Lailia and the children went on to find happiness. Certainly I am not an advocate for women to murder their husbands. Two of my ex husbands are still living as is the man I am now married to. One ex husband died of cancer. Although I have been accused by some of having a lack of commitment, others have applauded my courage to make changes in my life. In moving from the concrete to the figurative, to me, the shovel represents standing up and taking charge of ones situation. Clearly one does not have to be constantly physically assaulted, whether it be a relationship with a spouse or family member or a job situation, for a person to be in a situation where they need to make an environmental change. Other times standing up for ones self and remaining in a situation is the best way for a person to handle things. Each person has to evaluate for themself. But sometimes it is necessary to “ grab a "shovel" and take control of the situation for one's self. Whether an entire country or a personal situation, each must take control and initiate a solution to their situation themselves. Please click on the book title and author's name above to follow links to more information and enjoy the video that follows. It is a song that makes a point. I hope they play it in the Middle East over and over.
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