On behalf of young people all over this country who dare to dream, I proudly, defiantly declare...
If ambition is a disease, I am terminally ill... -RuthibelleH. W. Arnold said that the greatest bankruptcy in the world is the person who has lost his enthusiasm. I have many friends who walk around bankrupt. Empty. Daily. Fighting to keep hope alive in young hearts and minds that would rather retire and die. Or run off to another country for (seemingly) 'greener pastures'.
It makes me sad, because I remember their determination while we studied at university. I remember the light and fire in their eyes ... It is a tragedy to watch creativity and ingenuity get smothered by the recurring hardships of life, especially because those now dying struggled so hard to keep these flames of passion lit while attending university. For many of my friends, life has been a series of battles to keep hope alive.
What kind of country does that to its youth? What kind of country kills creativity and somehow transforms hard-earned success (like graduating from university) into a negative, burdensome experience? A member of our government recently made a statement to the effect that university graduates who cannot find jobs or afford to repay students' loans are in that predicament because they chose the wrong professions. Isn't that an irresponsible and careless thing to say? A statement indicative of a government becoming unpalatably abusive and insensitive to its people?
One of my friends pointed out that, by making such an irresponsible statement, our Government is, in essence, condemning ambition and telling young people to choose careers that guarantee them jobs (which ones are those, pray tell), instead of studying subject areas they are actually interested in.
Max Lucado said that ambition is that grit in the soul which creates disenchantment with the ordinary and puts the dare in dreams. I have long been disenchanted with things ordinary and substandard. And I walk among like-minded friends. We are not satisfied with average. God knows we love Jamaica, but it can get rough. It can be really hard to have a dream in a dreamless state.
Today, I use this blog post to recognise my friends all over Jamaica who dream big, and do not let the pressures of everyday life kill their passions and desires. I recognise the quiet strength it takes for them to choose energetic, active living over merely existing each day. And I respect that. Even if our government doesn't. I do. And I hope that makes a difference and counts for something ...
11 comments:
I admire your ambition.
Thank you Mr. Philps. I admire your accomplishments :)
Thanks for that Ruth! Our society tells us that we did the 'wrong' thing in school, so too bad for us. Obviously they dont care. In the past year, I have realised that self-sufficiency is my greatest resource. I cant depend on society to provide me with the resources I need to survive. I have to do it by myself. This post has reminded me of why I was so determined in the beginning.
Thanks!
fantastic realisation, Ker. I know what you mean, and yes, I agree. You have to keep that chin up and just decide that you are the force for change in your life, regardless of what's going on around.
Don't forget God though. You don't want to become so self-sufficient that you take on the weight of the whole universe...
Most impressive post. Too many lines I wanted to highlight. We are in trouble when an education only proffers a job, to make money. For then we lose the reason we learn, discover, appreciate the beauty in the world. We can buy things with the money from our good jobs, but have no clue how to enjoy the world around us. Did I make sense?
I've learnt a lot from my mother. She tells me stories about struggles, survival, overcoming hardships, keeping that glow within.
I also read books about people who've overcome serious hardships, and I try to learn from them.
I know it's difficult but for our sake, we must try to keep that 'glow' alive, that passion. Only we can influence what's going on inside us, no government, no society, we have control over our mind.
That's how I approach things, though I must admit, sometimes I rant and rave about the negatives.
I hope this motivates :-)
@Bernie, you make perfect sense. Learning should never be about getting a job alone. It should be about finding new ways to discover the world around us, and thus enrich our lives and the lives of others. WHen we lose that, we lose all. I understand.
@GG... that 'glow' is what I see many of my friends losing, and that gets me concerned. What do they become when the 'glow' is gone?? They will have money (for chooosing the jobs that offer such), ut then what?? THey lead miserable rich lives (and live lies)?
That is the kind of thinking that is characteristic of our government. Devoid of passion, foresight and ambition. No surprise then that we're in this predicament. Me nuh angry with them at all. They represent a mind-set whose time has come and gone. They are on the brink of extinction. It is out of this situation that a new, more enlightened style of government is going to evolve. That's how I see it.
boy Ren. That's a mouthful. But well said. You know me and Peer recently had a FAebook discussion that was similar to this... that this is the end of an era in Jamaican politics, and from here, things can only get better as the corrupt ones get exposed, and people start demanding transparency ... time for the NEW GOV'T!
nice Ruthi :)
I'm happy to know that the future is in good, creative and ambitious for better hands
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