Hillary Rodham Clinton

Another book I read during this loooong break is Living History by Hillary Rodham Clinton. Obviously you know her. She is a wife of former President Bill Clinton and the Senator of New York [now]. When I bought this book, I personally did not expect too much on it. I wanted to read it just because I was interested in her point of views regarding Clinton-Lewinsky scandal. Unlike other women I’m curious about, e.g. Princess Diana and Queen Rania of Jordan; in my mind, Hillary was not a figure who had done much effort to her country. I thought she’s just a woman who took an advantage of being a wife of the President. But as I explore more, my personal views on Hillary changed dramatically. Many people argue that Living History is an autobiography written to increase her popularity and to boost her role in politics. I do not see Hillary and her book from the political side of views (and I do not care about it either), but I see her as a mother, a leader, a First Lady, and an activist who cares about women's rights, family's and children's welfare .

One thing I admire about Hillary is that how she managed her life from a girl who was interested on politics, a Republican having the influence from her father, a women's rights activist, a student, a lawyer, a law professor, a Governor's wife, a First Lady, to the New York's Senator. I wonder how smart she was at school! All those professions she had inspire me to work harder and do better things in life.

As a girl who lived in the period where sex discrimination was a big issue, she clearly shows in her book how it felt to be rejected by NASA because they did not accept girls or to be humiliated by a Harvard Professor saying that “we don't need any more women at Harvard.”

I like to read her stories in the book, particularly her experience meeting many women and leaders from all over the world. It reminds me how lucky I am having a freedom to reach my dreams. Different cultures treat women differently. This is what happens on most women in India:

…One woman struck a common chord when she explained that she was no longer afraid of her mother-in-law.In their culture, the mother-in-law typically exerts rigid control over her son's wife as soon as the couple marry and move in with his family. Having her own market stall and her own income gave this woman welcome independence. She added that she was no longer afraid of the police either because a group of SEWA-sponsored vendors now protected her from harassment by overbearing officers in the market. The dignified bearing, chiseled faces and kohl-rimmed eyes of the speakers belied their difficult lives.

The Monica Lewisky scandal is a story you should all know. It's something I was curious about: how can she cope with her marriage problem and forgive her husband who betrayed her trust?? She explains that her husband lied not only to the country, but also to herself. She was betrayed by him, defining this moment as “the most devastating, shocking and hurtful experience of my life.” When the first time Bill told her (two days prior to his grand jury testimony):

I could hardly breathe. Gulping for air, I started crying and yelling at him, “What do you mean? What are you saying? Why did you lie to me?”… Up until now I only thought that he'd been foolish for paying attention to the young woman and was convinced that he was being railroaded. I couldn't believe he would do anything to endanger our marriage and our family. I was dumbfounded, heartbroken and outraged that I'd believed him at all.

I didn't know whether our marriage could — or should — survive such a stringing betrayal, but I knew I had to work through my feelings carefully, on my own timetable… I could not figure out what to do but I knew I had to find a calm place in my heart and mind to sort out my feelings.

She keeps saying that Bill did a wrong thing, but she also believes that he is a good father and President.

My personal feelings and political beliefs were on collision course. As his wife, I wanted to wring Bill's neck. But he was not only my husband, he was also my President, and I thought that, in spite of everything, Bill led America and the world in a way that I continued to support. No matter what he had done, I did not think any person deserved the abusive treatment he had received. His privacy, my privacy, Monica Lewinsky's privacy and the privacy of our families had been invaded in a cruel and gratuitous manner.

I think Bill Clinton is so lucky to have her. Her decision to keep the marriage is something we all should learn. It’s certainly not easy for her to have gone through this. “Every one of us has had to do it at some time in our lives, and the skills required to cope are the same for a First Lady or a forklift operator. I just had to do it all in the public eye.” Agree.

Merry Christmas for those of you who celebrate it