My Dream

Much like Dr. Martin Luther King Jr, I have a dream. I dream of a world evolved past petty violence. Where children can play together without fear. Where a person's income, race, religion, or sexual orientation doesn't define their worth to society. A world in which there is no such thing as homophobia, racism or bigotry. A world where nations don't have need for standing armies to defend themselves from their neighbors. I dream of a world where clean air and water are not things of the past. Where sickness, suffering and poverty don't exist. I dream of a world where social injustice is a foreign concept, and the miscarriage of justice never occurs. I dream of a world where conflict can be resolved with words and not guns. I dream of a world where a mother's rights to her own children can not be severed because she is mentally ill or physically disabled. I guess my dream is of a utopia, where one isn't laughed at for looking at things though a rose colored lens. I dream of a world where love is color blind and not restricted by a governing body telling you who you can and can not marry. I dream of a world where the phrase "with liberty and justice, for all" really means just that, FOR ALL, not just the elite, powerful and rich.

I don't dabble much in politics or religion. Personally I don't care for either one. My dream isn't that different from many others dreams. Safety, acceptance, love, equality. These are things that all mankind, not just American's strive for. It breaks my heart to see a child go without food, clothing or shelter. It breaks my heart to hear on an almost daily basis about youth the world over bullied for daring to be different. Not that long ago, I was one of those kids. Not that long ago, I suffered the careless words of my peers. And not that long ago, I became what I hated. A bully. I tried to fight back and became no better than those that pushed me around and belittled me. I tried telling myself that I was just fighting back. Eventually people became afraid of me. That little thrill of holding even one iota of power was intoxicating. But power is fleeting. Eventually, the anger I held towards the people that had been so cruel gave way to something new. Anger dissipated and I had a new out look. I forgave the childish actions of my aggressors. Not because they had asked forgiveness, but because I had forgotten why I was carrying all this anger. I tried to make amends to those that I had wronged. Some accepted, others did not. I also wanted to show my younger brother that the old hurts of the past could be forgotten, that it was better and healthier just to let it go.Lao Tzu said, " By letting it go it all gets done. The world is won by those who let it go. But when you try and try. The world is beyond the winning. " And that is something that I firmly believe. To those young people that are being bullied for the way they dress, for the music they like, for being unapologetically themselves whether they are gay, straight, lesbian, bisexual or transgendered, for daring to dream and be unique, let me say this, IT GETS SO MUCH BETTER. I know that right now it seems like the end of the world, not having the acceptance of your peers, but all you have to do is accept yourself the way you are. Love yourself, because you are beautiful, precious and unique. Keep your head held high, your chin up and your chest out. One day, you'll look back and laugh.

My message is simply this, if we don't collectively let go of all our hate, our pain, our past failures and shortcomings, how are we to change the world? How can we possibly have hope to not only save ourselves, but save our world? I am proud to say that I am a dreamer. And I believe that a person with a dream, with a singular hope can change not only just what's around them, but the world.

"It's not the size of the dreamer, but the size of the dream." Josh Ryan Evans