"Ideologies separate us. Dreams and anguish bring us together." Eugene Ionesco
On July 20th NASA and our world celebrated the 40th anniversary of the lunar landing mission of Apollo 11. The picture above has become an iconic image of humanity's dreams, hopes and achievement. For me, it was a symbol of a future I could live with now.
When I look at the images of what the Apollo Program aimed to achieve and finally achieved, I'm humbled by my own small thoughts. The image here of Buzz Aldrin standing on the moon shows what anyone can do if they only had dreams, hopes, courage and the fortitude to pursue. And most of all, it was the result of a collective idea inspired by John F. Kennedy.
Okay, part of the fuel that fed the fire of desire was to out beat the other guy (Russia). But it was a race to show ability and superiority without killing. Isn't that a better way of fighting the other side?
I understand it is human nature to prove you're better than the other. And that is what ideology, religion and all beliefs have in common. The reality is, we have to fuel that need.
I hate the thought but that's why corporations want more money, so the executives and stockholders can live better and have more than others. That is why leaders who can't solve domestic and economic problems call for wars on others so they can divert their inability to inspire their people to dream and achieve. It's their way of feeling they are better leaders than others by harnessing the human need to be better than others. That is why religious leaders who themselves lack the vision to lead, call their flock to hate others who don't share the same beliefs. That is why people who lack integrity put other people down or men put women down, or adults who abuse children do what they do- because humans have the innate desire to want to be better or have more than others.
What happened to channeling those destructive and wasteful energies toward useful and beneficial competition? NASA's research has led to countless inventions of new processes, equipment, materials etc., that have helped society and improved quality of life. It has employed countless millions at all levels of ability and education.
All the greatest and most effective leaders in our past have always inspired us to dream the impossible, and achieve it simultaneously. But in the last couple generations, we have seen the loss of that inspiration. Instead, it has been replaced by greed and dogma. Both of which come from lack of vision and have no long term benefit for humanity. Instead, it provides that instant satisfaction of having more than the other for very few.
I miss those calls for us to dream and compete on a higher plane. Those were the times when people rallied along side each other, sharing the work, hopes and pride of achievement. Those values seem to have disappeared. I find that even I have strayed from that path.
I hope that looking at the images and the video below will reinvigorate your dreams and hopes as well as your fervor to achieve them as they have for me.
"Dream no small dreams for they have no power to move the hearts of men." Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
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