Where there is energy
January 31, 2009
Dreams are more than just a mere metaphysical† quandary. They are in fact the very substrate which drives us to achieve greatness. Allow me to explain.
I stepped outside of my house earlier and took in a huge breath; the air I inhaled was nothing short of dry. It was the kind of air that causes you to cough afterwards it’s so un-forgivingly cold. The coldest New England air you could imagine, devoid of any moisture. But yet, I liked it; it reminded me that I was alive. “Another cold day in New England,” I thought. More specifically in North Chelmsford, Massachusetts, a rather beautiful suburban town near Boston. There was snow on the ground and stars in the sky with clouds offering some transparency overlapping them, allowing one to see the stars peering though like hundreds of little flashlights behind a vast curtain made of “space stuff,” if I may borrow a phrase from the late Carl Sagan. “The Universe generated another breathtaking scene,” I thought. “The Cosmos is a magical place,” I pondered.
And so, despite it being so bone-chillingly frigid, I decided to continue on my journey to the Chelmsford Public Library. It wasn’t just any walk, however; it was a journey through space and time. And so the walk began. Energy is required to engage in motion; this is obvious. In biology and physics, energy and how it is generated is a well-understood concept. But to me, there is another facet to energy: the missing pre-cursor to energy. It is called “the noble pursuit of dreams.” The “noble” is an integral part of the phrase because you can also engage in a half-hearted pursuit of a dream.
About twenty minutes in, while passing Parker Middle School, I could feel my legs getting numb and frost building up on my eye-lids. I would continue to blink every so often to flush my eyelids of the frosty material. A lot of thoughts rushed through my head. “Why is it that some people lose their innocence so early,” I pondered. “Why is the World so unjust under so many circumstances,” I pondered. “Why is Washington so corrupt,” I pondered. The brave experiment that is the United States of America that Jefferson and the others worked tirelessly to build has become the exact opposite of what they wished it would be. “They must be turning over in their graves,” I thought. “Maybe I could help to remove some of that corruption,” I pondered.
And so I continued on may way to the library. About 45 minutes later, I’m finally in the town center, which is where the library is located. I pass by some sort of New Age pseudoscience shop, and think to myself, “do people really fall for this stuff?” The answer is of course an overwhelming “yes.” Just look at how many people fall for religion††. Same concept, different suit. Empty promises, no substance, and often, detrimental. If I may once again borrow a phrase from Carl Sagan, it is a shame the “candle in the dark” isn’t brighter these days, in the 21st century no less.
After arriving at the library, it closing in a half an hour no less, I sat down and read The Courage to Survive, Representative Dennis Kucinich’s autobiography. He is, through and through, the epitome of a good, honest, hard-working person. And, moreover, the kind of person that we need more of in Congress and throughout our Government.
That night, I felt like I could be another Kucinich. That, perhaps, I could help to restore the innocence to America. That’s what drove me through the cold to the library. That was the fuel of dreams that I speak of.
“Our lives don’t just belong to ourselves, they belong to others,” as Kucinich once eloquently stated. If only we could all share that beautiful kind of outlook on life.
† (adj) metaphysical (highly abstract and overly theoretical) “metaphysical reasoning”
†† I should make note that I am not outright intolerant of religious types. I do not, however, like when religion spills over into the classroom (Intelligent Design/creationism being pushed in biology class), or when it helps to shape public policies (seperation of Church and State).
