Tag Archives: dreamers

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Leap Day Blog: It’s Not Easy, Being a Dreamer

Yes, I promised I’d post two blogs Thursday. I didn’t get around to the second. I felt bad. Then I realized Monday was Leap Day. I couldn’t miss a chance to post something on a day that only comes once every four years. So, here’s the bonus blog. 😛

Anyway…

I’m a dreamer living in a world that seems hostile toward such people. I’m not the only one, though. I’ve heard many stories about artists (though dreamers can also be scientists and missionaries, etc.) in particular who grew up in blue collar families/communities and were discouraged from pursuing their passions. “Get a real job!” they’d be told. They didn’t understand the dreamers’ aspirations, their desire to do extraordinary things. No, these naysayers knew only of clocking in and out at their easily understood and quantifiable jobs and bringing home a paycheck.

I don’t say this to demean blue collar (or white collar) types. In fact, I admire their work ethic and down-to-earth attitudes. Many, if not most, are full of common sense and free of the delusions that pervade certain demographics of society.

However, oftentimes they are so down-to-earth, they can’t understand people who, for lack of a better term, has their heads in the clouds. Actors, writers, and directors, to name a few, often came from families like this who, at best, tolerated their kids’ unusual interests or, at worst, tried to force them into the “normal” mold. This was usually done with good intentions—wanting to make sure their kids could provide for themselves—but it came at the expense of crushing their children’s souls. It was a forced denial of who they were. It made the dreamers live while dying inside.

I know this from experience. My father has a blue collar mentality. When I said I wanted to go to college to study writing, he was supportive. He even helped pay for it. But then a couple years ago, he revealed to me that when I made that decision, he thought I was crazy. He didn’t think I could make it as a writer. I was flabbergasted, disappointed, angry. This was the man who, just a few years before, read my first novel, Pandora’s Box, and liked it; who read my newspaper articles and thought I was an ideal journalist because I didn’t put any biased spin in them. It was, to say the least, a bit of a blow, especially since I was (and am) a struggling artist.

My theory is people like this don’t understand dreamers for two reasons: 1) The dreamer’s path to success is more abstract, less direct, and less certain, and 2) the dreamer’s aspirations and goals are too “pie-in-the-sky.” Going to a factory or office and putting in one’s eight-hour shift is simple and direct. The most such workers have to think about is perhaps moving up in the company and/or getting a raise. Dreamers have to take risks and think outside the box. Someone who aspires to start a nonprofit to, say, help inner city kids has to do fundraisers. Writers have to submit stories to publishers and agents. Actors have to attend auditions. In all these cases, there’s no guarantee of success, and initial success doesn’t always guarantee ongoing success. They don’t get paid a salary or an hourly wage. The closest equivalent are independent contractors. It’s also usually a slow, gradual process to becoming “successful” for the dreamer. This is why most, including myself, hold down “day jobs” until they reach a point where they earn a living doing their “unorthodox” dream jobs. These aren’t usually the most glamorous or high-paying of day jobs, which doesn’t reflect well on the dreamers. (I’ve heard many stories of now-famous actors who worked at restaurants until they became successful).

Dreamers walk difficult roads, but if they stick it out, the results not only include a satisfying career for them, but changed lives for many others. Nonprofit organizations save lives. Writers and artists entertain and, most importantly, enlighten audiences with their art (if done right). Actors can do the same. The notoriety they gain through these can give them platforms from which they can do other great works.

This is why I’m a dreamer. This is why I support dreamers.

If you’re a dreamer, don’t give up!

If you know dreamers, I hope you will encourage them.

Are you a dreamer? If so, what are your “lofty” aspirations?

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‘Tomorrowland,’ Dreamers, and Idealism

Does it make me a bad writer (and a bad person) that I haven’t written a blog (or made a video) in nearly a month because of busyness and technology problems? I’d like to say, “No,” and attribute it to “life happens.” Regardless, my projects have slowed down a bit, and I’m writing this on my new laptop. But since I feel I owe it to you, “True Believers” (yes, I’m still stealing Stan Lee’s nickname for Marvel Comic readers until I can find a better name for my own fans), to make up for lost time, I plan to write two blogs this week: one today and one Thursday.

The poster for the film.

Recently, I saw Tomorrowland (which, despite what critics are saying, is a good film). It was a wonderful experience. I saw it at a locally-owned small town theatre with my siblings, Josiah, Jarod, and Sarah. This almost never happens because Josiah is married and recently had his first kid, and Sarah works in Florida for her alma mater, Word of Life Bible Institute. I can’t remember the last time the four of us had an outing like this.

Anyway, there’s much that can be mined from this film, but what struck me most was its idealism. (SPOILER WARNING!) Tomorrowland is a city hidden in another dimension. It is a place where scientists, thinkers, and artists can work without the limitations of governments, bureaucracy, and doubters. But only a select few are admitted to the city. Those chosen for admission are sent a pin that gives them an interactive glimpse of the city and invites them to join.

I want one!

How is someone selected to enter Tomorrowland? He (or she) must be a dreamer. They must look at the world’s problems and ask, “How can we fix it?” They must believe that with imagination, ingenuity, and hard work, anything is possible. In other words, they must be optimistic and idealistic.

Casey, the film’s protagonist, exemplifies these. Several times when apocalyptic predictions are made, she refuses to believe they can’t be prevented, and her hope alters those projections, if only slightly. It’s revealed that a machine meant to show mankind the dangers that are coming—environmental disasters, nuclear war, etc.—instead made them cynical, so they rushed toward that apocalypse. They turned those warnings into pop culture, treating those dystopias and disasters as inevitable futures. Ultimately, it is hope that triumphs, reviving Tomorrowland and avoiding the oncoming apocalypse, and pins are sent out to new candidates for admission.

Watching this, I wondered, Would I be worthy of admission to Tomorrowland? I asked myself that because I’ve often battled cynicism and despair, especially since graduating college. I won’t go into the details, but my life hasn’t gone how I wanted it to. Just the week before seeing the film, I’d staved off a bout of depression. Yet whenever I’ve been like that, I didn’t feel like myself. It was like I was another person; it wasn’t the real Nathan. It reminded me that despite everything, in my heart of hearts, I’m an idealist. I’m also a dreamer. The cynicism and depression stem from not seeing many of those dreams become reality. There’s much I want to do and much I can contribute. Among them is telling stories to a wide audience that both entertain and enlighten. In fact, I want to craft stories that do for others what Tomorrowland did for me.

But hope is a tricky thing. It’s both powerful and fragile. Reality can crush it—and often does for many people—but it can also overcome and alter reality. It’s what spurs people to accomplish great things. They didn’t simply give up.

For centuries, people said man would never fly. The Wright Brothers didn’t listen.

America feared polio for decades. Dr. Jonas Sulk created a vaccine.

The Cold War raged for nearly five decades under the shadow of the Soviet Union. President Ronald Reagan defeated it.

I’m also reminded of Hebrews 11, which is often called “The Hall of Faith.” It lists figures from the Old Testament who accomplished great and often seemingly impossible things because of their faith in God.

These are the kinds of people who get admitted to Tomorrowland.

They’re the kind of people I want to be like.