Journal entry #1 - A Thousand Splendid Suns

"[S]ome things I can teach you. Some you learn from books. But there are things that, well, you just have to see and feel."(page 134)
This quote was said by Babi, to Laila when they were atop the Budha. After a pretty long hike up a narrow trail, they made it to the top and were admiring the view. I feel strongly about this statement. I love traveling and camping, I love the feeling of exhilaration when you have reached the top. I have often read about certain mountains and how beautiful they are, but it's not the same as experiencing them yourself. I was visiting my realtives in Scotland, and have heard a lot about the munros. ( They are a series of mountains all over Scotland that are above a certain altitude.) While my family was there, we hiked up two munros. The ascending climb was difficult but the senery was amazing! After a few hours, we made it to the top and I was estatic. The weather was super windy and foggy, however, I was indifferent. I was experiencing something I had only read about and can relate Laila's feeling.
I have sympathy towards individuals who only learn from books. Not having the joy of seeing or feeling would be very unfourtunate. I believe witnessing events developes your ideals on certain topics or issues. If you only learn from books or other individuals, your learning about someone elses opinion instead of creating your own. This is similar to another part in this novel; when Nana had given her attitude of Jalil, and Jalil had given his notion about Nana to Mariam. She thought Jalil was a caring man and would never do anything to harm Mariam. She was questioning Nana's assessment of him, until he left her to sleep outside the gate and wouldn't see her around his life, she saw and felt. She experienced the true side of Jalil and created her own impression of him.