Dare to Dream

Lately, I've been talking with all my kids individually. I'm trying to get to know them better. A popular question I like to ask them is, "What do you want to be when you grow up?"
The responses I get break my heart. The question floors most of them. I honestly don't think they've ever been asked before, so they've never thought about it. American kids are asked this question hundreds of times in their short childhoods, but not Haitian kids. Most of them will eventually settle for answer like a  nurse or farmer because that's the only jobs they really know about.
How sad is this? No one is teaching my children how to dream.
I often play a game with some of the Haitian adults that can speak a little English. To force them to practice their English we sit in a circle. The first person says a sentence. For example; Yesterday I went to the beach. Then the next person makes up another sentence. Example; While I was there I saw a fisherman. You keep going around the circle until you've made a story.
I'm sure you've played this game at some point in your life.
Anyway, trying to get the adults to create a story is like pulling teeth! Its so difficult for them. They were never required in school to do creative writing or even to paint a picture. They haven't been taught how to imagine.
Now granted some people are just naturally creative and don't need to be taught these things. But, as I have learned from my Haitian friends, many people do need to be taught how or at least encouraged more.

How can we expect these children to change this country if they can't even envision a better place!

Think of all the things our world would be lacking if it wasn't for dreamers and visionaries. It was a dreamer who imagined the first airplane. Dreamers created beautiful artwork like the Mona Lisa and the Statue of David. A dreamer once came up with the idea of harnessing electricity and creating light bulbs.

I've never been so grateful for my teachers. Those great teachers that were always encouraging us to read more and imagine bigger. Every kid deserves to have someone pushing them forward. Daring them to go farther then anyone else. Thank you teachers. I hope you realize the impact your making and the great hole that would be inside all of us if you weren't here. I pray I can give these Haitian children at least half of the encouragement that my teachers gave me.