Che

I just finished Guevara: Otherwise Known as Che while Andrea went to lunch with some friends and the kids took a nap. While much of Che's life is disturbing and I can in no way call him a hero or role model, I took away much from reading his biography. One thing I admire is his ability to think big, to dream big. After the revolution in Cuba was successful, most people would enjoy the aftermath and talk about the good old days of the revolution. Instead, Che went out to the Congo train the revolutionaries there to fight for liberation and was soundly defeated. He went to Prague in disguise and continued to be the mastermind behind a plot to bring revolution to all of Latin America. Cuba wasn't enough. He hoped for equality and liberation, for the end of tyranny and empire, in Argentina, Bolivia and everywhere else. He was killed in the jungles of Bolivia (with help from our CIA) with a handful of men who evaded thousands of soldiers and inspired revolutions for years to come. He was never scared of what would happen to him, and he didn't seem to care what people thought of him. He had a reputation for brutal honesty to all those around him.
Again, I'm disgusted by the violence, and I question if any good really did come out of all this, but I'm amazed at the determination and persistence in hoping to change the whole world for the better along with the steadfast belief that it was indeed possible. May we dream big and work for what we believe every day.