I have been wanting to write and discuss with you an item that made the news a few weeks ago, but since I was in the midst of covering the laws of success (which I will continue next week), I figured that perhaps the beginning of a new year might be more appropriate, as we all look forward to another year that will bring happiness and prosperity. 

 

As I look across our country, a country where education is provided to those of us who seek it, I see many of you who have had to make many sacrifices in order to obtain that education.  Yet, not one of us has faced the obstacle of losing our life for seeking an education!  I make this comment in light of the news story of a young 15-year old Pakistani girl by the name of Malala Yousufzai, who was shot in the head while sitting on the bus by a Taliban fanatic who accused her of being a traitor.  She was accused of being a traitor for speaking out on the lack of education for the hundreds of thousands of young girls in her country.  These are girls who are prevented from obtaining an education by fanatics seeking to place women in a substandard role in life, unwilling to give them an equal opportunity.  I think about the thousands (if not millions) of young boys and girls in our country who have the gift of education available to them if they would just take it and run with it.  I think about the huge number of young boys and girls who drop out of school for many reasons, not realizing the huge mistake they are making, which will unfortunately affect most of them for the rest of their life in a negative way.  As parents and teachers, and even as members of our community, it is our duty to make every effort to provide the guidance and support these young people need, as they are "pulled" and "influenced" by their peers and others with no future to develop bad habits and become part of that section of our nation that will be uneducated and/or unemployed, with a bleak future or no future at all.  What a waste of a mind; what a waste of a human being; what a waste of talent that will never be realized.  I wonder what difference it would make in their attitude toward education if they experienced what Malala and many like her are experiencing in their countries, with the suppression of their educational opportunities?  Too often we take things for granted, not knowing how lucky we are to live in a place called the United States of America!    

 

Gracias, 

John A. Flores, MBA - Author 

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