Dare to Dream

It is better to fail in originality than to succeed in imitation.
Herman Melville  

         

          History is full of the devastation of mad men that call themselves leaders. Millions of people have perished at the hands of such men. These men were self-appointed prophets that claimed they would save the world. They were often highly intelligent and charismatic.  Their sermons began and ended with conformity to the cause. People followed out of devotion and desire for the promised utopia that waited at the end of the battle.  Still today, we witness these travesties and we ask ourselves the immortal unanswerable question, WHY?  In hindsight, it is easy to shake your head and ask questions but in the presence of mass opinion is hard to have a voice and take a stand.  Most people will follow thinking that they are fighting the good fight but they have not really reasoned for themselves the whole concept. They will see one small detail and determine how that affects their immediate world.  Their narrow vision does not permit them to see the truth of how that detail fits into the whole picture.

          The problem is that most original thinkers have a touch of genuine folly. They see a problem and they calculate a way to fix it.  They were men and women that built skyscraper, launched rockets to the moon, or dared to be different in the face of overwhelming disparagement. Yet in time, they gave us wings to fly and gadgets that can wirelessly connect us to another person on the other side of the nation.  It is all about the vision. These people see something far beyond our present situation into what can be the future.  Yet they are often defined as mad men.  T. E. Lawrence said, “All men dream, but not equally. Those who dream by night in the dusty recesses of their minds, wake in the day to find that it was vanity: but the dreamers of the day are dangerous men, for they may act on their dreams with open eyes, to make them possible.”  So I ask you this, why is it that dreamers, writers, artists, inventors, and original thinkers are labeled with such negative descriptions? Because unlike the masses, we live out our dreams and we are not afraid of our thoughts. I have frequently told people that I live and work in the clouds. It is truly a glorious way of life. 

However, when it comes to the everyday people tend to see our approach to life as frivolous.   People assume because I have deeply passionate convictions that are based on something they feel is not the point. In matters of politics and religion, I have that same tendency to see beyond this moment, to see the dream that can be.  People who think only in the logic of here and now are consumed by a small piece of the puzzle.  They are limited by only the immediate knowledge and surroundings. 

Politics and religion are very volatile subjects.  They bring out the zealots from all sides.  The propaganda machine works over time with little regard for truth.  It is more like almost truth and half-truths that feed the mechanism.  People spend entirely too much time on Facebook, in personal blogs, and in conversations being overly boisterous in repeating whatever part they choose.  Now in my silliness, I see that as gossip.  It is a little like paining a rainbow with three colors because you do not like the other ones.  It skews perception.  So if you follow the whims of deception are you not repeating history?  No one is perfect but if you listen more to your reality than to your passion you stay anchored to the same reality.  Change comes from dreaming and growing.  You reach higher for something more than yourself and your current circumstance. 

Religion is by its sheer nature is the belief in a superior being that you cannot see or touch but must believe by pure faith. Yet, the Bible exists in inference of His existence but some would argue there again that its pure faith that makes us want to believe. Therefore, if we can imagine the existence of God and why can we not also acknowledge the belief that He is a loving, forgiving God thereby, negating our need to be so intolerant of other people.  I want to take a moment to assure you that I am a Christian and I take my faith very seriously.  What I do not understand is man’s inhumanity to man.  I hear the complaint that they have taken God out of schools yet sitting in my son’s IEP meeting, I prayed that they would have a plan that would benefit my child and help him to learn.  I feel my prayers were answered.  That was school; I thought He was there so explain this to me.  Perhaps it is all about the perception. 

I think as followers, people put too much stock in too many words.  They look to their leaders to take them to the promised utopia.  We spend too much time debating on who is right for the job and not enough time looking for the positive in the job they are doing.  As a shepherd herding his sheep, you can go no farther than the boundaries of the paddock you are grazing in and you will never know if the grass just past that boundary is sweeter.  Not everyone is a leader, and certainly too many chiefs and not enough Indians makes for a bad lot too. Even as a supporter, you are not required to graze on all the misinformation of the party line. Use your mind, look past what you are told and ask yourself is this what I want to support?

The other evening I had a minor disagreement with a post on Facebook by a friend.  I was offended that Democrats were being labeled as murderous criminals. The Republican cause was gun control.  While a part of the facts were truth, it was just that a half-truth and a large supposition.  I informed my friend that I was offended and I asked is she were in fact aware that there was a far larger picture that indicate that the right wing had more than its fair share of maniacs too.  There was a big to do about virtually nothing until at last my friend said she could see my point.  It was not my intention to do more than to do more that.  Open her eyes to a larger more complete truth.  Her views are hers to have. 

The future belongs to the small but cherished few that can see those visions that are bigger than today.  They will take us to places far beyond where we are.  I do not have all the answers nor do I presume I ever will but I do have my passions. I am guided by my dreams to find a better tomorrow.  I am unique. I know that even my daughter who si very much like me dreams a different future and in a different way than I do.  I challenge you to find your unique vision and let it be your guide. All of problems in this moment are real but they have real solutions. However, the solution may not be readily available to our current logic.  You have to dream an original resolution. Being original makes you the special person you were meant to be.  Perhaps,  you will need to regroup and start over but the success is in the attempt.I am Ruth and I am an original character!

Dare to Dream!