Pilar Zeta Image 2 via Tumblr
Day 9: A – Z Challenge
“Imagination is more important than knowledge.” — Albert Einstein
I recently read, Einstein’s Dreams, by Alan Lightman. In it, he imagines Einstein’s theories of time, through a series of chapters where time moves too quickly, too slowly, or not at all. In some of Einstein’s imaginative ideas, time moves more slowly if you live at a higher elevation. The whole short novel examines and re-imagines life on earth from the perspective of science and spirituality.
Imagine a world at peace.
What sort of world would you build if you could build any sort of world?
I vote for a cooperative, spiritual, diverse, open-hearted world, that fosters creativity, scientific discovery, and sustainable systems for growing food and running businesses. I vote for a kinder world where everyone has enough and no one hoards too much. A world without bombs, guns, strife, or hunger.
“You may say I’m a dreamer, but I’m not the only one. I hope someday you’ll join us and the world will live as one.” — John Lennon, Imagine
Imagine a world where women and girls are safe.
Imagine what might be possible if women everywhere didn’t have to constantly be on guard for predatory behavior. Imagine a beautiful world that cherished all children; a world where they are never harmed, never touched inappropriately, never shamed.
I vote for a world where childhood is a time of curious joy. I vote for a world where I and my sisters, mother, aunts, cousins, and girl friends can take walks under the stars without fear or repercussion.
Imagine a world where men are allowed to feel empathy.
‘Humans aren’t as good as we should be in our capacity to empathize with feelings and thoughts of others, be they humans or other animals on Earth. So maybe part of our formal education should be training in empathy. Imagine how different the world would be if, in fact, that were ‘reading, writing, arithmetic, empathy.’ — Neil deGrasse Tyson
Imagine what might be possible if boys weren’t told that ‘only sissies cry.’
I vote for a world where a man’s strength doesn’t preclude his vulnerability.
I vote for a world that protects and nurtures boys; one that doesn’t kill their spirits before they can even come of age.
Imagine a world where everyone has a fighting chance.
Imagine a world where the rich cannot buy their way out of regulation, skirt the rules, buck the system. Imagine a world where poverty and illness are not seen as character flaws.
“The Universe is made of stories, not atoms.” — Muriel Rukeyser
Imagine a world where you are not judged by your behavior on your worst day. Imagine a world where you’re allowed to learn from your mistakes.
Imagine what might be possible if we wrote a new story for this fragile world. An inclusive, open, hopeful story.
Imagine how beautiful that would be.
© 2015 Shavawn M. Berry All rights reserved
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