A Rose That Grows From Concrete

My title spawned from a posting at my friend's blog. She is a frustrated teacher who went in to the profession with high hopes helping youth and realized that some folks just don't want the help. This phenomenon is a widespread symptom of the feeling of defeat. It's specifically present in low-income neighborhoods where people feel like they've been beaten to the ground with no way to go. Even when help is present, the thought of having to do any amount of work to reach a goal or realize a dream is daunting. Having to deal with figuring out where your next meal is coming from, or how your rent is going to get paid, or if your lights will be on when you get in from work takes so much essential energy that spending your time thinking about becoming that engineer or professional dancer seems like nonsense. They need NOW...and dreaming of long term goals is not helping the NOW. So plans become short term - let me go to work today so I can pay my bills at the end of the week. Who has time to dream when reality is always dead smack in your face.
Whether it's an issue of proper planning or building a resilient spirit - finding a kid coming from this type of background with the determination to make it out of the low-income mentality is like finding a rose growing out of concrete. The diamonds in the roughs are those kids who are not afraid to dream big - because they still have hope that dreams do come true.
To dream is to have courage - because what a dream does for someone is it gives them the motivation to continue even when things seem to be going off course. It says 'no matter what' you will end up where you want to be. A dream is a declaration that you will be the master of your destiny by any means necessary. What responsibility you have taken on when you dream. Its no wonder folks with no means to live on a day to day basis can't or won't fathom to dream big - it can be scary and fear of failure is real. Creating a goal and working towards it is hard work on all planes (mentally, physically, spiritually, emotionally) - If you dare to dream - dream big - because dreams really do come true.

originally published 11/21/2005