Please write 500 to 1,000 words about your summer adventures (this will be featured as your first entry) and submit it along with this application and a recent photograph (head and shoulders).
My summer adventure of 2008 started with the following words: I became what I am today at the age of twelve, on a frigid overcast day in the winter of 1975...This summer, my journey to the Middle East unfolds as I travel in a time capsule, growing 3 decades old with the land with vibrant culture. I experienced Amir's guilt, Hassan's idealistic sacrificial and loyal love, Baba's uncertainty, Soraya's courage, Rahim's love, and the idea of religion, power of friendship and the unbreakable bond of blood. From Khaled Hosseini's The Kite Runner, I realized that my summer adventure is really another journey of self-growth.
Amir and Baba has never believed in God the way other Muslims did. In fact, they don't even pray. However, near the end of the novel when Sohrab comes into the picture, Amir begins to pray in a religion he once had no faith in. This reminds me of a quote, "Don't pray when it rains, if you don't pray when it shines." The Kite Runner fully depicts this statement and it struck me because I do it. I realize that I am guilty of this. More often than not, I only pray in times of need, hoping that God will be there to fix my problems or rekindle a broken relationship. I pray for a sick friend, the starving, the less fortunate and promise to give back to the society in return. We pray for ourselves when we need something. Even though there is nothing wrong with that, but I can't help but wonder...what does He get in return?
It seems rather common to pray in times of trouble but as time goes by and the gap in our life is mended, we forget to count our blessings. I realized a while ago even though it is good to pray for the starving or the sick, why not also do something about it? By donating food to organizations, visit and stay the sick - It is easy to say a few quick words to God, but it shows true character to show an act of kindness. I believe that eventually Amir's redemption has helped him realize that he needs to take action aside from asking help from the omnipotent.
Just like the way Rahim Khan's heartaches upon seeing Amir fight for Baba's love, I feel the same distress. Despite fate and its unexpected twist and turns, I understood the tremendous influence that everything that surrounds us has upon every aspect of our lives. Parenting, for example, is a way to really screw up a kid for the rest of their lives. Abuse in all forms, neglect, too much praise, not enough praise, too much discipline, not enough discipline - parenting in general establishes the "core beliefs" with which kids view the world and themselves. Such "core beliefs" are so "core" that individuals begin to see them not as beliefs nor as something that was learned, but as a form of truth or reality. These are the beliefs from where we get our "attitude" or "outlook on life" and the scary part is that it all starts with those influences of parenting. The Kite Runner is about two brothers, Amir and Hassan, who share an unbreakable binding vine of kinship despite all their differences, reared by a father who loved them differently. Without negative "core beliefs" impeding, or in other words, if one knows one could not fail, what would one strive for?
There was a point in the novel that helped me realize the immense impact of attitude on life. Attitude, as it seems to me, is more important than the past, the education, the money, the circumstances, than failure, than successes, than what other people say or do. It is more important than appearance, giftedness or skill. The impact of attitude is especially apparent between Assef and those around him as he oppresses the others with his status and wealth. As a "proud" Taliban member, Assef executes God's will as he torments the Afghans. But what for? What I have learned at this point is obvious, there is a little bit of Amir, Hassan and Assef in all of us and it is up to us to reign our attitude and emotions.
As the story is gradually brought to an end, Amir’s narration shows raw emotions, he waddles on in his life through guilt. Hosseini continues to justify the hatred and frustration readers feel toward Amir by atoning for his sins as he runs Sohrab’s kite. The patience and love he has for Hassan’s son effaced into thin air towards the end of book, showing me that everyone deserves “a way to be good again.” Knowing that loveable Hassan would have happily forgiven Amir without hesitation, I learn that I am not one to judge but I am here to forgive and to redeem. And here’s to my family, my friends and everyone who has been there for me through thick and thin: “for you, a thousand times over.”
(photo editting credit Kory Eylmann)
