On Hope...
I do not think one should ever condemn a person for being hopeful, or a dreamer, or a visionary – I think that people who condemn people for these actions are simply envious; for, they do not have the ability to be any of those things within themselves. Never take hope away from a person – it may be all they have. Hope is never a lie – even if at times it is necessary to be, how should I say, aware of “reality…,” hope is always necessary…and it is so much more than a just a word.
“We grow great by dreams. All big men are dreamers. They see things in the soft haze of a spring day or in the red fire of a long winter’s evening. Some of us let these great dreams die, but others nourish and protect them; nurse them through bad days till they bring them to the sunshine and light which comes always to those who sincerely hope that their dreams will come true.”
~Woodrow Wilson
This quote has been on my mind since I saw it on the “Quote of the Day” on my Internet homepage. I was instantly reminded of a time in my adolescence when I was truly lost – for all of a split second; and, all because of a few harsh words from a person that knew squat about me, about art, about acceptance, or any number of things that were related to feeling.
When I was about 16, I was on my way, with a family friend and her husband, to stay a week with them. It was hot – typical, humid Alabama summer mid-afternoon, and we were riding in a truck, crammed in amongst luggage and other amenities. We were riding with the windows down because our friend’s husband smoked cigars, and of course, our friend was smoking a cigarette… It was miserable. I remember trying to make small talk about different things in an attempt to stay positive – it was always awkward with our friend’s husband around – he was one of the most pessimistic people I think I’d ever met at that point in my life.
I made the statement that, “I was going to write,” when our friend asked what I wanted to do with myself after graduation. And I will never forget the words that seeped from his mouth – slow and thick like they were covered in some sticky, heavy substance – almost in slow motion: “That’s a waste of time – you’ll never amount to anything – writing – that’s not a profession, that’s just a plain old waste of time. Ha! Artsy farsty – bunch of junk.” Our friend punched his leg, and rubbed mine in an attempt to comfort me, but I remember being almost in tears.
And, from that day on I made it a point to NEVER say anything negative to a person if it wasn’t warranted, especially about who they wanted to be or what they wanted to do in their lives. I made a conscious choice that day to continue to be, and become even more, open-minded and accepting of others, and always to try to be kind and encouraging towards them, no matter who they were, what they believed, what they looked like, how they treated me, if they hurt me, if they were a complete stranger, if they were my worst enemy… And at this point in my journey in life, all I can say to this person, who has been dead and gone for some years now, is, “Thank you, sir, for giving me an early lesson that there are just some people in this world who can not be positive towards anyone, even themselves, but that doesn’t matter – I can still be caring towards them if I choose, and that is who I want to be – it IS who I am.”
ufosIsee
Great story, well put… Dreams built this world…....... Check out my poem to be a dreamer…..
Never quit writing, for your Ideas could one day have real importance 4 someone…. I could relate very much to this story…......Kudos
Christy Grimes replied
Thank you – I am surprised to see a comment! My writing elsewhere has gone pretty much without comment. :-) I’m at a time in my life now where so many things are changing – situations, people, work, – I have had nowhere to go in recent months except to my writing, and oddly enough, some have still “punished me” for it. I guess that, too, helped jog that memory of that miserable old man… LOL
Thanks so much for commenting, and for YOUR encouragement!
ufosIsee
Stop by my site might find something to cheer ya up….........