Guatemala

When reading about Rigoberta Menchu's life  in Guatemala I found it to be depressing because within the first paragraph she says "It's hard for me to remember everything that's happened to me in my life since there  have been many very bad times but, yes, moment of joy as well" (2). Just barely getting into the reading and reading that just made me upset. She never went to school and had to learn Spanish just by listening. I cannot imagine that because in today's society going to school is something most of the society does. Since she was unable to do so I would think she also lost many memories there. She belong to the Quiché group and practiced those customs. At least being part of something can keep her active and helps build close relationships I would think. It even maybe help her out by giving her people to talk and connect with about what she is going through. Her father was an orphan and lived a hard life. Thinking to myself I wonder what his life was like because her life is not one that any of us would want to life, which then makes us grateful for how fortunate we all are for everything we have and can experience. He lived in a village and his father died when he was a small boy leaving the family with a small patch maize. That is just so upsetting to see situations like that happen today, but even trying to put myself into that position I have no idea how I would get past anything like that. The grandmother then helped them out by finding them jobs, but she ended up giving the oldest son to a man so he would not go hungry. That just shows how even she cared about trying to provide the necessary food for them and even when it did not work she found a way to have it be better even though it is something that no one would want to have happen in today's society. Reading this memoir just made me upset because it is so sad to see what people have to go through. People still struggle like this today and I just wish there was something we could do to help everyone, but that would be so hard. The only the thing I can think of is to be grateful for what you have, who you know, and the relationships you have with people. (Even in this picture you can tell how upset and worried she looks...I could not imagine what she has gone though it really can't be easy)