Dreams are an interesting beast that all people must conquer. They exist between life and death, an endless liminal space wherein a subconscious can explore a vast ocean of meaning. A world within the hearts and minds of people across the globe where the soul wrestles with how it changed the proceeding day. No one knows why we dream or what they are. They are a vague, fraudulent device used by the mind to sustain belief and hope.
People dream of the future they desire. They dream of the life they want to create for themselves. They dream of a life they wish to waste away. Now, not all people waste their lives. People like MLK, RBG, JFK, FDR, LBJ, BHO (Barrack Hussein Obama), LDR, KDL (Kendrick Duckworth Lamar), JMG (Jane Morris Goodall), IMJ, and DPP have all done incredible things for the world. They envisioned what they wanted to do for the world and did it. Others, like RJS or DJT, arguably make the world worse by not only wasting their lives but also wasting the lives of others.
Wasting the future is a common behavior for many people. It’s an everyday occurrence. They attend a regular college, secure regular, stable jobs, and lead lives that seem worthy of regular applause. Some get married, have children, and end up raising more individuals who waste their potential, perpetuating the cycle.
The few who break the cycle to chase their dreams and fly towards the sun, more often than not, fly way too close. Like Icarus and his wings of wax, they all end up falling. However, for those few who listen to Dadelus, some fly just low enough to achieve their dreams in a much more realistic way. Not everyone can be a Jane Goodall or an Earvin “Magic” Johnson, some must find a smaller version. Instead of a famous musician, become a local legend. Instead of being an astronaut, get annoyingly into space. Instead of being a multi-millionaire businessman, go broke funding a small failing business in your small town.
Dreaming small is a sure-fire way to prevent yourself from wasting your life. Whatever you do in life, however, keep dreaming. No matter the size, dreams are the one thing in life that inspire you, come from you, and are just for you. Without dreams, we would not have this wonderful nation of the USA. Our forefathers dreamt of a land where they could not be tarrifed or taxed without representation. If we were to stop dreaming of lives, even those that will be inevitably wasted, we would lose the very soul of the nation.
I believe it was George Washington who said as his troops crossed the Delaware, “Let our dreams for this nation guide our hand, as the only thing to fear is giant, maneating spiders! Our greatest weapon against these vile and nightmarish creatures are our sweet dreams of a sport we invent and no one else wants to play!” Of course, this quote would be changed over time, and split and attributed to other presidents as well.
The quote still rings true today, however, as the only thing that can bring this nation out of the vile pit it’s in are the sweet dreams of people who waste, fullfil, and lead mediocre lives. Thank you for listening to my TED Talk. Don’t forget to like and subscribe.
