25 Sep 2021

I've heard of Randy Pausch's Last Lecture, but I have never read it before this week.  The instructions for our assignment were to skim through the actual transcript.  I read the whole thing!  I loved it.  Unfortunately, my enjoyment didn't translate to my quiz results.

Nevertheless, I loved how Randy made his childhood dreams come true!  I believe he could do that because, as a child, he saw men walk on the moon, and he realized that anything was possible.  He was inspired and didn't let anything get in his way. 

Randy spoke of some of the obstacles that came up when he was pursuing some of his dreams.  He called them "brick walls." But, he said, "Brick walls are there for a reason. ...the brick walls are there to stop the people who don't want it badly enough."  He demonstrated that belief by finding ways through or over the "brick walls" that came when he was pursuing what he wanted.

Randy said we shouldn't lose sight that anything's possible, "that the inspiration and the permission to dream is huge."  I agree with his statement.  I have believed all my life that "with God all things are possible" (Mark 10:27). Dreaming is very important.  New ideas, inventions, medical breakthroughs, scientific discoveries are all made possible through someone's dreams.  Without dreams and inspiration, I believe we lose hope.  Hope in humanity, hope in our future, hope in our abilities.

One of my childhood dreams is to become a teacher.  My parents are teachers, and I spent many hours in my dad's classroom pretending to teach my younger brother.  I loved the chalkboards, games, learning materials, the feeling in that classroom.  I can still feel how content and happy I was in that room with my dad.  I love to do anything education-related: decorate a bulletin board, prepare a lesson, games, activities, and make learning materials.  Nothing makes me happier than laminating learning materials, cutting them out, and using them to teach something!

I believe I can achieve this dream.  I am working hard to earn a degree, which will open doors for me in the education field.  When I have enough credits, I will start substitute teaching at the elementary school level. Teaching is in my DNA and blood.  I don't think I will ever leave my childhood dream behind.