Last winter I ordered some boots. They’re Blundstones and they’re so freaking comfortable. Comfortable, that is, when I can wear them. They’re pull-ons and great goo-ga-moo-ga – they’re hard as hell to get on. Once they’re cradling my feeties, I love them. Cut to me trying to get them off and it’s an entirely new challenge. I simply cannot remove them by myself. The two times I’ve worn them, Mister had to pull them off for me and even he struggled. Honestly – I’ve only worn them twice because of the nightmare of their removal. After searching online and reading of the same problem experienced by others, I reached out to Blundstone to ask for some advice. In response, I received a lovely email advising me to stuff socks into my boots. You know – to stretch them out. Yeah. Socks. Thanks dude.
I realized the only viable option I had was to take the boots to my shoe guy. When I got there, I started to ask if they could stretch the boots and the cobbler began shaking his head even before I got the words out. He told me he’s had many customers come to him with the same Blundstone problem and the only way to make the boots wearable is to install zippers. Jeez.
While I was focusing on how to make my spendy boots usable, Afghanistan was being overrun by extremist terrorism as a direct result of the United States removing troops from the country. Men there are desperately hoping their beards will fill in. Women are frantically trying to purchase burqas. People are terrified. And they should be.
Before the worldwide pandemic, I was fortunate to see a play by Michelle Kholos Brooks – War Words. The work blew my mind and I was really affected by it. There were many takeaways, but this one shook me… Educated women read the Quran, therefore they know that what the taliban are doing is in direct opposition to the teachings of their holy text. Afghani men seek permission from their mothers to fight. Educated mothers will not allow their sons to fight for or with the taliban. So how do the taliban get around this? They prevent girls from being educated. Educated females are the enemy.
As of this writing, every woman and girl in Afghanistan is at risk. Some are already lost. There will be more killings, more rapes, more, more, more. Sitting here, as a privileged-white-woman in my safe, comfortable home, there isn’t a damn thing I can do about it.
But hey – at least I can get into my Blundstones. And take them off.
I just wish I could stop crying.
Thank you for explaining why they don’t want their people educated.
I really just never understood this way of thinking.