I’ve been reading “What Is the What,” by Dave Eggers, the true story of Valentino Achak Deng, one of the Lost Boys who lost his family in the war and genocide that still plagues Sudan. It’s hard to read this book and not find myself fascinated by the differences that each of us experience in life. As I was watching episodes of Punky Brewster and rockin’ out to my newest Madonna tapes, Achak was walking hundreds of miles to Ethiopia with no idea whether he would ever see his family again, whether he would be alive from day to day and if so, for what?
What’s fascinating is that I struggle with “the what” of my privileged western life — same questions, vastly different circumstances. I believe we all do.
But “what” has changed meaning for me since reading this book. I feel I can see it more clearly now, though I’d struggle to explain it here. The human struggle is eternal and demands respect. It’s the details that make us pay attention, pull us through a narrative that ends with the pure pleasure of drinking a glass of clean water in the company of someone we love.
If you haven’t already, read “What Is the What” and push yourself outside your comfort zone. Eggers’ artful hand at story-telling will show you the situation in a way you probably have not seen.
Further reading on the Web: