Star Trek, at it's best, is truly a spectacular dream for humanity. It's a bold vision of mankind overcoming the hardships and injustices of today - war, poverty and disease - and nobly setting forth to peacefully explore the galaxy in the centuries to come. Star Trek is a grand dream for all of the dreamers among us.
On an individual basis, I was truly inspired by the example set this past weekend by a 47 year old woman from a small town named Blackburn, Scotland who never forgot her childhood dream of becoming a professional singer. While many of us often don't act on our youthful ambitions; casting them aside as seemingly impossible goals; this lady - Susan Boyle - who at first appearance seems ill fit for success in an industry that often glorifies the glamorous and the beautiful - bravely took the stage at the UK variety show "Britains Got Talent" and risked public embarrassment before a nationwide audience in pursuit of her dream.
I urge you to view this 7 min video if you have not already seen it! What you will hear is a voice as angelic as any you've admired in the past. It is readily apparent that the audience is predisposed against Ms. Boyle at the beginning - especially after she relates that she is unemployed at present and lives alone with her pet cat - having never been married. The reaction of the listeners, ofcourse, overwhelmingly changes when she begins to sing!
While this particular post has seemingly little to do with Star Trek; it is about an individual pursuing one's dream in exactly the same spirit as Star Trek.
I suspect that you will be entranced by Susan Boyle's performance just as much as I. And perhaps be inspired to take a second look at pursuing some long - forgotten dream of your own; that was relegated to "some other time" as you became caught up in the day-to-day realities or minutiae of life.What a splendid reminder that we should never judge a book by its cover; and that true beauty can flourish in us all!
