Books That Change Your World

I’m not going to write a book review of the Hunger Games.
Not because it wasn’t a fascinating read or a extremely well written book.
But because it was one of those books…you know the kind that lingers in your mind long after you’ve read “End of Book 1.”

The kind that changes your world.

It made me think and reassess.

Like how amazingly lucky I was to be born in the United States and into my family. I have freedoms that are unheard of for many women in the world. Dystopia isn’t something that exists only on the pages of a book. Read about the genital mutilation in Africa, the stoning of women who were raped in the Middle East. There are some scary regimes right now, right here on planet Earth.

I’ve been well provided for. Loved by my family. Food has never been a problem. In fact, I’ve been downright glutinous. I overeat. I’ve taken every bite for granted. Every brownie swallowed without a thought for how many people have never tasted a crumb of a brownie.

We’ve always had hot showers and indoor plumbing. Heat and air-conditioning. Things I took as a given.

I was worse when I lived in NYC. I can see myself in the people from the Capital in this book. Caught up in my own little world. Hunting for the next cool thing to own. Chasing trends. Fixated on the most unimportant things. As if it somehow made me cool. Made me matter.

I’ve been selfish and self-absorbed. I don’t have enough gratitude for all the things I’ve been gifted with. Many of which I didn’t earn. Being a girl in the United States is a gift. Being able to live in one of the more freed societies in the world is a gift.

I’m not saying it’s a perfect society or a perfect government system. It isn’t. But when I look at the rest of the world, I cannot help but see it’s one of the best places in the world to live as a woman.

I want to be more aware of how lucky I am. I want to be thankful for my blessings. And I want to do more to help others who weren’t given as much. I’m not quite sure what action that will translate into, but it’s a stirring. An awareness and a motivation I am so very grateful to Suzanne Collins for.

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