Childhood Dreams
Other than Randy Pausch's "The Last Lecture", I don't recall really wanting to cry over any particular book that I have read. Although the video clip of his last lecture has been circulating on Internet for quite some time, I have not watched it, so am not aware of his story until having read his book. But it is so sad that I may not have the gut to watch the clip after all.
"The last lecture", however, is enlightening and inspiring as it is melancholic. Randy's life-ending story reminds us of how precious time is, particularly those available to be spent with the loved ones. He also inspired the readers on the importance of the pursuit and fulfillment of ones childhood dreams.
Pondering on this advice, I suddenly realised how hollow my memory of my own childhood dreams is - I did not seem to have any! Indeed, I don't recall having any particular dream on "what I want to be (or to do) when I grow up", although I might have mentioned "engineer" and "pilot" at some early stage (without knowing what these people actually did). This new-found awakening of "emptiness" puzzles me with how little imagination I actually had and how dull my life really was. It also reveals as a back-fitting but convincing explanation to my confused state of mind and living during a teenage stage. Other than trying to do well for the sake of my academic performance per se, I had no clear idea of what it might lead to and what options I might have for living, let alone any grand vision for adulthood and life. I just prodded along and, after falling prey to all sorts of the usual teen distractions, when I did not do well academically, it was a long slum in living before a sense of recovery was to be had (or perhaps until destiny had it that I recovered).
Now I can feel for the importance of having and pursuing childhood dreams. Luckily, my daughter's imagination seems to be far richer - she says she wants to be a scientist. It was even put on record when her teacher of the last school term videotaped everybody in her class speaking out to the camera on aspiration. I feel so grateful for this CD - how she spoke a little shyly but charismatically to the camera - which I shall surely treasure as some inheritance along with other valuable items for her to appreciate when she grows up. And no matter what she says she wants to be, I vow to help keep her imagination alive and create the best learning environment possible for her to pursue her dreams.
"The last lecture", however, is enlightening and inspiring as it is melancholic. Randy's life-ending story reminds us of how precious time is, particularly those available to be spent with the loved ones. He also inspired the readers on the importance of the pursuit and fulfillment of ones childhood dreams.
Pondering on this advice, I suddenly realised how hollow my memory of my own childhood dreams is - I did not seem to have any! Indeed, I don't recall having any particular dream on "what I want to be (or to do) when I grow up", although I might have mentioned "engineer" and "pilot" at some early stage (without knowing what these people actually did). This new-found awakening of "emptiness" puzzles me with how little imagination I actually had and how dull my life really was. It also reveals as a back-fitting but convincing explanation to my confused state of mind and living during a teenage stage. Other than trying to do well for the sake of my academic performance per se, I had no clear idea of what it might lead to and what options I might have for living, let alone any grand vision for adulthood and life. I just prodded along and, after falling prey to all sorts of the usual teen distractions, when I did not do well academically, it was a long slum in living before a sense of recovery was to be had (or perhaps until destiny had it that I recovered).
Now I can feel for the importance of having and pursuing childhood dreams. Luckily, my daughter's imagination seems to be far richer - she says she wants to be a scientist. It was even put on record when her teacher of the last school term videotaped everybody in her class speaking out to the camera on aspiration. I feel so grateful for this CD - how she spoke a little shyly but charismatically to the camera - which I shall surely treasure as some inheritance along with other valuable items for her to appreciate when she grows up. And no matter what she says she wants to be, I vow to help keep her imagination alive and create the best learning environment possible for her to pursue her dreams.
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