Tag Archive for dream

Let Me Dream

August 28, 2020 Comments Off on Let Me Dream

Starting in November, no matter who we vote in as President, I fervently hope the spirit of Martin Luther King., Jr. rests upon his shoulders and infuses his decisions with the fire to fight violence and its major cause, injustice, in our nation.  I dream that this spirit spreads from our leader to our lawmakers, who will then regain the respect of their constituents, who will, in turn, reject violence in all its dehumanizing forms and embrace justice for all of our citizens.  From there, they will demand justice for all other citizens of the world and pursue it in peaceful, yet effective ways.

This is a huge dream, even a foolishly optimistic one.  But, just imagine–if everyone shared my dream and worked to make it reality, what would our new world look like?

Let me dream.

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Discovering Joy

November 5, 2015 Comments Off on Discovering Joy

Kahlil Gibran, with his simple wisdom, has always been a favorite of mine.  In today’s Thursday Thought he tells what he discovered was joy-filled.

 

 

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Mike Nicols on the American Dream

November 20, 2014 Comments Off on Mike Nicols on the American Dream

Today’s Thursday Thought comes from the multi-talented German immigrant who passed away yesterday, Mike Nicols.  His quote offers an interesting view of what Americans hope for and dream of:

“There’s nothing in the American dream about character.  It’s a serious flaw.”

 

 

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Diana Nyad: Chase Your Dream

September 3, 2013 Comments Off on Diana Nyad: Chase Your Dream

“You’re never too old to chase your dream,” Diana Nyad said after her historic 103-mile, 53-hour swim from Cuba to Key West, Florida.  It took her 5 tries and 36 years to do it in a different, more challenging way than the other two people who successfully swam that route did it: through the shark and jellyfish-infested waters without wet suit, fins, or shark cage.  When she got tired, this 64-year-old woman recited her mantra–find a way.

I respect her fortitude.  I also respect her lesson, which is “We should never, ever give up.”  Not that old saw (a damaging, demeaning lie) that you can do anything if you only try hard enough and set your mind to it.  No, she emphasizes not the accomplishment of a deed but the pursuit of a dream…the action of working toward something that is worthwhile and energizes you.

Diana reached her goal.  Even if she hadn’t, though, the effort itself would have been a triumph for women, “senior citizens,” and the human spirit.

 

 

 

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Dream Tour through Disgraceland

May 24, 2013 Comments Off on Dream Tour through Disgraceland

You probably know that we people with disabilities are granted the privilege of going to the head of the line at places like Disney.  Actually, it’s a practical matter.  We clutter up the line with, say, our wheelchair, plus, we need extra help getting onto the rides.  Sometimes our chair won’t fit through the regular door so they take us to a wider entrance.  Yes, it seems nice for us, although most of us prefer not to be singled out for obvious special treatment.  However, it’s also convenient for the park.

So Florida’s Dream Tours hired disabled persons as guides, meaning they could get up to six people moved to the head of the line with them.  It cost the customer only $130 an hour, or $1,040 for 8 hours (cheaper than Disney’s VIP guides, at $310-$380 per hour).

I wonder what it cost the kids who were ushered in this way: increased sense of entitlement, negative perception of people with disabilities, lessons in cheating, a feeling of being better than others…attitudes that prepare them for what kind of adulthood?

As for the guides, what were they thinking, allowing themselves to be used in this way!  Not to mention the black mark against the rest of us disabled people.

Bad press caused Dream Tours to stop this practice–without even an apology.  I think it’s far too late.  They’ve already lost their way in Disgraceland.

 

 

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