I'm Melting!!!

Welcome to this week's Thursday News of the Absurd Will Someone Please Write This Book Inspirational Moment (TNoftheAWSPWTBIM).

Could someone please write this book about the story of the person who won a once-in-a-lifetime trip somewhere bizarre by finding the winning code on the inside wrapper of a chocolate bar? Oh, wait. Someone did. Strange.

This week's actual inspirational moment is more serious than usual.

From Reuters:

Student Pours Cold Water on School Reform

"The 14-year-old schoolgirl threw a pitcher of cold water in Education Minister Monica Jimenez's face at an event to discuss reform of a sector that students and teachers complain is underfunded and neglects the poor."

Apparently, reaction to a proposed Chilean education reform bill has been violent, with protesters including students and the teacher's union. The government called a meeting to address the concerns and a student doused the Education Minister.

I have two thoughts before I describe the book I want you to write:

1) I know absolutely nothing about the Chilean education system. However, my knee-jerk reaction is "You go!" As a former teacher and hater of many of our own government's recent attempts to hobble "reform" the schools, I can understand the students and teachers and their frustration, particularly after the ridiculous comments from the minister about how she could have been killed by the pitcher and how she blames (of course) the teacher's union for all the problems (as opposed to, say, blaming whatever is dumb in the bill).

2) As you know, all my thoughts have been taken over recently by the sound of a five year-old trying to sing like Judy Garland.* Therefore, all I could picture when I read this was the Education Minister shrieking, "Who would have thought a little girl like you could kill my beautiful wickedness?!" and melting into a puddle on the ground.

BUT, this is supposed to be an inspirational prompt. And the story I really think is interesting here belongs not to the minister, but to the 14 year-old girl. How did she get to a place where she threw a pitcher of water on the Education Minister?! An action like that steps over the boundary between what we dream of doing and what we'd actually do in real life. What emotional or personal journey brought her to that place?

I see two ways to go. Either she starts out timid, etc. and gradually grows to a place where she can stand up for herself and her classmates in this over-the-top way. Could be touching; could be a yawner.

I'd rather read the story of the kid who never does well in school, who doesn't even think she likes or needs school, who makes her teachers crazy and doesn't fit in with her classmates. How does THAT kid get to a place where she's willing to risk whatever punishment came down on this girl (the article doesn't say) to stand up for students' rights to a good education?

Will someone please write me that book?

*In case you missed it, Tinkerbell is Wizard of Oz obsessed these days...