Day: May 22, 2012

Book Reviews

Book Review: King Peggy

Impower You

I admit when I first picked this up, I thought it would end up being a boring story. Royalty holds no interest for me. I was never that girl that played pretend princess and while I did enjoy Snow White and Cinderella, the stories weren’t that great since the girls hardly had any real adventure.  So once again my idea of what a book would be like was shattered and I am happy for that. King Peggy, is now one of my favorite books.

Peggy  is a secretary at the Ghana Embassy in D.C. who finds out she has been chosen as the new king of her village in Otuam, Ghana(Africa).  While this may sound like Cinderella, it is far from it. She is not some poor girl with low self esteem scrubbing floors and holding her tongue.  She is a hardworking woman who has loved, lost, moved to a new country, fights her own battles, clearly speaks her mind, and is independent. The title she inherits from her Uncle Joseph, the previous king includes a royal “palace” falling apart in disrepair, no money or jewels, and a large village with just one water station or “borehole”.  She has to deal with a council of liars and thieves who have no respect for women or sobriety and for a short time goes into debt herself to revitalize the village and honor for her seven thousand citizens. She uses her wits, bravery and education to create positive changes. She is truly a empowered women, a role model and an example of how anyone despite gender or skin color can make a difference in the live of so many people. It starts a bit slow, but by page 55 I could not put the book down. I didn’t want the book to end.

“King Peggy” by Peggielene Bartels and Eleanor Herman

You can learn more on her website: http://www.kingpeggy.com/

and Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/pages/King-Peggy/169676286446629

Social Action

The Root of the Problem

Impower You

After going back and forth in a conversation about the death penalty I though about the root problem. Prevention is a key component in eradicating violence (and unhappiness).

How about if our world was less focused on war or justice and more on peace and prevention. For example after working in a domestic violence/ sexual assault center I saw just how much pain and death could be avoided if women were taught to be strong, be aware of warning signs, and to know better than to return to their abuser. It’s harder to kill your wife or girlfriend if she knows enough to leave your sorry ass and or can fight back.

Another example are programs that pull kids off the streets and teach meditation, anger and stress management, and mediation techniques. They are less likely to use violence to solve their problems, but only if they KNOW they have a choice. That is prevention.

If we can eradicate violence as a solution, we can end crappy ideas like the death penalty and reduce our need for prisons.  Then we would have even more tax dollars to spend on education, health care and building sustainable energy. That’s what I have learned in all my different community work.