Remembering How to Dream

When I was a kid, two of my favorite pass times were playing with Lego's and drawing. And as a child of the Star Wars era (the good episodes), most of my creative effort was focused on space. Space ships, space bases, colonizing planets and moons, meeting aliens, etc. And because I was a kid, there was no limit to what I believed was possible - I was simply able to dream up whatever solution I needed.

Now, however, I often find myself caught up in the "adult" world (not that adult, let's keep it clean). If I try to come up with a solution nowadays, I get caught up in doubt and disbelief:

• That's too expensive to build...
• Nobody will pay money for that...
• That's just stupid...
• That will never work....

And just like that, I have convinced myself that whatever idea I came up with is no good. And the problems of the world go unsolved. I've forgotten how to dream.

Fortunately, I've found an antidote....

This is a sketch of The Office Building of the Future, provided to me by my son. Clearly a clever lad, and still able to dream. He didn't come to me and ask if his idea was possible, he just put pencil to paper and brought it to life. And it is an awesome design, but here's the tough part - as he first began describing it to me (very excitedly I might add), I had to hold my tongue. Rather than getting excited and becoming part of his joy, my first reaction was to come up with every possible reason why his design would fail - not exactly my best moment as dad. But as I let those thoughts pass on, I began to catch the vision.

• Tunnels at different levels with power generators inside; and think about using the surface of those same tunnels for integrated cooling (or for hanging laundry to dry)
• A stable pyramid shape; and imagine the south facing side covered entirely in solar panels (notice that the Great Pyramid at Giza is still standing)
• Strong columns at each corner for support; with a catchment basin underneath for collecting stormwater for toilets and irrigation (who needs parking anyway, we'll be walking, biking)
• And what if you added window boxes with vegetables and flowers (grow your own lunch)
• And what if you turn the top into a giant solar collector for providing natural light and/or heat to the interior of the entire building

As I continue to look at it, I see more and more possibilities - I remember how to dream.

When I assume that I know, that I have the answers - I talk myself out of daring to dream and working to do good. But when I humble myself, like a child, and open my mind to whatever God puts there - that's where the power is.