I’m going to ask you to use your imagination for just a few minutes.
Imagine that we live on a giant ship that is floating in the middle of a never-ending ocean. This ship was not built by you or your ancestors. We only know that its here, it floats and that without it, we would not have a home for any of us. This ship is constantly traveling with a current that we can’t control. Since the ship has no sail and no rudder, its path can’t be altered; only observed. We are simply being taken with a current in a direction that we have no control over.
This ship sustains us in every way that we can imagine. It miraculously provides us with food, shelter and clothing from itself, as there is no other means to survive or get resources in the vast ocean it floats in. This ship has inherent systems that maintains balance and is self-sustaining. Even if you could swim, without the ship you would perish because where would you swim in a never-ending ocean? Where would you find solace when there is no other ship to board to rest? Even if you created another ship that floats on the same current, could you replicate the miraculous way this ship sustains life and maintains balance? This ship is the ONLY thing keeping us alive in the vast ocean and provides us all the protection and resources we need to survive.
This ship allows you to live and experience life, joy and love. It provides you everything and asks nothing in return. It also allows you to raise families, create art, music and provides freedom for you to do as you please on it . You would also maybe consider this ship a kind of “Heaven” in a vast never-ending ocean.
Imagine that you share this ship with creatures of all shapes and sizes that are all part and parcel to the systems of balance. Each one of them has a specific task and plays a role in the total sustainability of the ship and understands the concept of balance and innately maintains it. All worked together to keep the ship afloat and maintain balance for all that call it home in the vast never-ending ocean.
Imagine that that these creatures were of varied intelligence and you were one of most intelligent and curious creatures on the entire ship. You were one of the few creatures that had the ability to manipulate things within the ship that they couldn’t. With your intelligence, you were able to ponder and understand much about the ship, how it operates and the systems that is uses to maintain balance.
Imagine that you began to use this intelligence to create tools and technology that makes living on the ship easier and better for everyone and still maintained the balance. Imagine now that some people created things that began to tilt the ship out of balance. Imagine that some people even began to drill holes in that ship that caused it to take on water, which could cause it to sink into the never-ending ocean? Is that the behavior of one of the more intelligent creatures on the ship? Why would we destroy or alter the balance of the only thing keeping us afloat in the never-ending ocean? What if what you imagined everything that I just mentioned was real?
Imagine this ship is called Earth and the vast never-ending ocean is called Space.
Many of us can see how this analogy relates to humans, the environment and the planet. Yet too many of us sit idle and watch the ship slowly sink pretending to be helpless or unable to take action to remedy the problem. I believe that now is the time to stop pretending that we can’t affect change ourselves and stop waiting for someone to do something for us that we can do for ourselves.
I am a dreamer. I admit it. I am one of the people who look at a problem and try to solve it using as much common sense and practicality as possible. I know that we wouldn’t be able to communicate as we are now, or have the freedoms that we have now, if it wasn’t for dreamers such as myself. A dreamer is able to see things that aren’t in reality right now and articulate them to the people that only see reality.
If it wasn’t for dreamers, we would only have what we’ve had and progress wouldn’t be made. I have respect for dreamers and I know I wouldn’t have the freedoms that I have now it wasn’t for them and I’ve concluded that the best way to honor the dreamers of the past is to continue to dream in the present and future. It’s not enough to memorialize a dreamer and name a street or holiday after them and become complacent; and that’s what I’ve seen.
We have to stand on their shoulders and take advantage of the vantage point that they’ve given us and march on, push forward and continue to climb the mountains and become dreamers ourselves.
We live in a world of connectivity now that has virtually shrunk the planet and made ideas and information accessible to many. We have the opportunity to unite and communicate in ways that haven’t been imagined by those dreamers in the past and now is the time for us to stand up and begin to do what we can for ourselves to help ourselves. We need to unite for common causes and pool our resources and ideas together to help our communities, future generations and environments.
If not now then when? What are we waiting on? Who are we waiting on? What do we tell our grandchildren when they ask us why didn’t make the world better for them? Are we so blind or preoccupied that we don’t see the problems of today or do we choose to turn a blind eye to them? Why shelter your children from the problems of the world when you can actively begin to fix it for them? Are they not worth it? Are we in a state of denial of the conflict and imbalance that there is in the world?
Many see it but feel it can’t be changed or that it is too difficult or not worth the sacrifices of their comforts. I couldn’t imagine the world we would be in if it wasn’t for the previous dreamers who sacrificed their comforts and lives for ours. The highest thing that we can do is to pay if forward for the future generations in hopes that the world will be a better place due to our efforts. Turning a blind eye to the fire does not stop it from burning; eventually it will affect your home or your families.
Our ancestors saw things that needed changing and did something about it and we are living in the shade of their hard work in the sun. Is the work done? Have we won? Does the world reflect the fairness that many before us fought so hard to achieve? You have to answer that question, but my opinion is obviously not. Just taking a look at your nightly news would show you how much more work is needed to make this world the place it can be. We haven’t even scratched the surface of our potential.
So I am a dreamer. And I am calling all dreamers within the sound of my voice to unite for a common cause. Us, our families, our children, our future generations and our planet.
I know it takes more than a dream. It takes a plan and I have a plan and with your help we can improve it and begin to put it into action. I can’t do it by myself, I know this. I’ve gotten this far on my own dime and with my own time, but now is when you have to make a decision to either participate or watch.
