Who hasn't ever wanted to run away?
When one is confronted by seemingly
insurmountable odds, the easiest way
out is to get out of town. Yet hiding or
escaping does nothing more than mask
the truth. Most attempts to ignore our
reality fail. After all, it is what it is.
Hence unless you're ready, willing, or
able to do something about it, chances
are it's not going to go away. Which
is why I've decided it's better to face
reality dead in the face and attempt to
make things better. Right or wrong.
However... one can dream. At times
I worry that we've lost our ability to
imagine. During tumultuous times
few seem to believe in miracles. Or
in the possibility that magical things
can happen at any minute. How did
we devolve into a vindictive culture
of jaded isolationists? This country
is built on the hopes and dreams of
those lucky enough to land upon it's
shores. Why are we mired in misery?
Don't you wish we could once more
look upon the bright side?
Dreams are free. They cost nothing.
We all have the ability to imagine
the possibilities. Obviously theres
a plethora of reasons why most of
our dreams never come true. Yet
most of us have experienced one or
two miracles in our lifetimes. One
only has to hold a newborn child in
their arms to know that life itself is
a miracle. And if you've ever fallen
in love you know that magic can
suddenly occur anytime, anywhere.
Have we forgotten how to dream?
Frankly we shouldn't be worrying
about ISIS. Rather we should be
concerned that our optimism has
taken a detour to self destruction.
The only reason great things aren't
happening is because nobody is
willing to believe they can. Our
warped perceptions have usurped
reality. Here in Lewistown many
great things are happening. Yet
but a few are willing to celebrate
success. Focusing instead on what
has been lost or simply changed.
As traditional downtown businesses
close, we attribute said failure to our
city management rather than to the
merchants themselves. Meanwhile
newer establishments such as our
24/7 Fitness Center are THRIVING.
Which is only proof that one of the
key elements of success is giving
people something THEY want. If
one dives into the reasons for recent
closures, you'll find that most were
self motivated or inflicted. So why
blame everyone else but ourselves?
It's time to stop making excuses. Even
more important, it's time to stop letting
others off the hook when they whine
about what's wrong versus right. We
all must step up and stop complaining.
Negativity only breeds contempt. If
one prefers to stay on the dark side,
soon they're left all alone in the dark.
Let's put on our thinking caps. More
important let's dream BIG. Nobody
ever said that we can't mix fantasy
with reality. So why not do whatever
it takes to make our dreams come true?
