Carry it forward: The Kite Runner

Today, we are reading an excellent fictional memoir, The Kite Runner by Kaled Hosseini.  It has become apparent to me that the main character, Amir, is one who is bound fear.  He can not do what he knows is right because he is to much afraid of what will happen to him.  Amir watched his best friend get raped in a back alley of afghanistan, and could not help him because he was scared.  Plus, his best friend, Hassan, got raped because he could not let Amir down.  

Amir is so bound by this fear that he aspires to cowardice.  He tries dozens of times to avoid conflict, even when it is clear that being a hero is the right course of action.  It's not a lack of people to look up to.  Baba is portrayed as an excellent role model who clearly thrives in the element he's in.  He stands up for what is right, even when he's standing alone.  He helps his friends get by, even when they can't help him back.  Somewhere along the way, that was lost on Amir.  

From now on, I will try to emulate the behavior of Baba.  Standing around and thinking slowly, methodically, calculatingly, is not the right way to go.  It leads to people being hurt.  The instance we see in The Kite Runner is a bit extreme, but that is the essence of fiction.  Fiction (or fictional memoirs, in this case) are designed to help writers bring out the real emotions behind their ideas.  It would be boring for Mr. Hosseini to say "I was a coward, and it hurt someone."  A much more interesting story is created by the skilled prowess of a writer making up a story that embodies all of the main human emotions.

Instead, I will try to speak up for what is I think is right, even if it's a very small instance.  If it's my friend degrading themselves, I will try to make them think more positively.  This has also made me want to re-strengthen my efforts on the "your awesome" campaign.  Instead of saying "epic fail" when someone does something stupid, I will try, and am trying, to start saying "you're awesome" when they do something good.  

Letting fear drive us is bad.  Some fear is good because it keeps us from touching the boiling pot of water, from hurting ourselves, from failing a class.  However, all-encompassing fear is bad because it destroys the intrinsic value to life.  When fear reaches the point that you are no longer able to act, it is time to reject that fear and do something that may seem irrational.  All-encompassing fear hurts our relationships, our health, and our state of mind.