My Dreamcatcher

(Disclaimer: This entry is solely based on the imaginations, thoughts and reflections of the writer. It bears no relations, or is nor an advertisement campaign by the Native Indians from America, the Hollywood or some folktale somewhere.)

The Native Americans (the politically correct term for "Red Indians", like 'Oriental' is for 'Asians', and whatever have us!) have long believed that dreamcatchers serve a purpose in the nightly slumber. Dreamcatchers are hung above their beds near where the head rest, and it is believed that bad deams are caught in it, so it does not reach the resting person; but would allow good dreams to pass, and make the sleep a sweeter one.

Powerful huh?

I remember once, some time back, when I was still in secondary school, my teacher asked the class what we would want to be when we grew up. We all had big dreams in our lives then, as usual, there would the a share of lawyers, doctors and engineers. There would also be some that would want to be pilots, sailors and soldiers. And what we had to do was to put a picture of what we wanted to be in a frame on our desk.

Funny things we did.

Rarely would you get some that would have chosen the route of a teacher, social worker, or nurse. I remember a classic incident where I had a friend who wanted to be a taxi driver. This friend of mine, was particularly lazy, and was too lazy to find a nice picture of what he wanted to be; so conveniently, the taxi driver's picture was somewhere within reach, thus pasted.

It was that very day I realised how dreams have to be engineered for the acceptance of society as one that is successful. The result of the picture of the taxi driver rings in my mind today and each passing day creates a deeper resolve to allow the young today, to realise their dreams.

If my classmate really wanted to be a taxi driver, I see no fault in it. There are many children in Singapore who's rice on their dining table is brought home by a taxi driver father. There are many university graduates who's tuition was paid for with a taxi driver's pay.

It only saddened me that we have reached a point where dreams can never be realised if our mindsets are not broken, to realise that if anyone dreams of being a taxi driver, let him be, but encourage him to be the best taxi driver in town.

You never know, he may know the road systems so well that transport ministry may hire him!

If someone's dreams were to be a toilet cleaner, give him or her a chance to be the best toilet cleaner in Singapore; Even the Environment Minister visits toilets as part of his job, to see if it is clean or not!

What is my point? Simple, let us live our dreams the way we dreamt it to. Its not about being lazy to dream, but being hardworking at fulfilling our craziest dreams. It is encouraging us to live our dreams, and being the best at it, that matters. It is sharing with us how to live life to the fullest.

Be my dreamcatcher today, distinguish between my good dream and a bad. Recognise me for my dreams, and push me to fulfil them, with the very best I can muster. The very least you could do, don't dream dreams for me.