A reminder from Afghanistan about how valuable a newspaper - even one used to wrap meat and vegetables - can be

New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman's Sunday column from Pushghar, Afghanistan contains an inspiring quote that reinforces why newspapers matter so much. 

The quote also is a reminder that newspapers are first and foremost about knowledge, an educational tool.

This is what Greg Mortenson, author of “Three Cups of Tea,” told him at the opening of one of his schools for girls in a remote Afghan village.

"When a girl learns how to read and write, one of the first things she does is teach her own mother. The girls will bring home meat and veggies, wrapped in newspapers, and the mother will ask the girl to read the newspaper to her and the mothers will learn about politics and about women who are exploited.”