First step in the clouds

 In 1956, the publishing cooperative "Czytelnik" released a collection of short stories by one of the Polish writers closest to my core – Marek Hłasko – titled "The First Step in the Clouds" (Pierwszy krok w chmurach). 

Marek Hłasko was the first honorary winner of the "Zygmunt" award, granted by a committee consisting of me and one other buddy :-) (for those who know). 

Paradoxically, today's post will feature absolutely nothing about this collection of stories or Marek himself. 

I'm writing about him because I really liked this specific title and decided to use it for today's entry, and I hope Marek will forgive me for it. ... 

...

My mentor often repeats that realized dreams are priceless. 

The dreams we make come true are exactly our steps in the clouds. 

In today's world, it seems to me that being a dreamer has rather negative connotations. Someone who always has their head in the clouds. Someone who can't find their place in a materialistic world.

 Meanwhile, dreamers are the people who often push humanity forward. Nicola Tesla, who changed our reality, was a dreamer. Steve Jobs, Mark Zuckerberg, and their contemporaries who transformed our world were dreamers too. 

Their dreams turned into visions, which, spiced with determination, painted the world in different colours than the ones we knew before.

What is a dream? 

It is an internal need to realize a certain image. A vision. A picture. 

When you dream about something, it means that what you dream about is identical with who you are. It is an integral part of your existence. The truest element your consciousness is built from. A component of your mental construct. Much like thoughts, we don't have to admit our dreams to anyone and can hide them from the world. However, we ourselves know about them. That is enough to spark the flame.

 A dream begins with a small flame of a thought. Some of them will die out before they even have a chance to properly ignite. But there are those that, over time, unleash a fire within us that must find an outlet. The realization of the dream is that outlet. 

And after that, there is only the cosmos... 

Realized dreams are the essence of existence. 

I think that realized dreams are the measure of our effectiveness. And effectiveness makes our self-trust grow. 

Trusting yourself, in turn, is the best investment in life. It always pays off with high interest.

Why, then, in our society that glorifies the cult of work and productivity, do we pay so little attention to what has driven our world for centuries? Why do we deny ourselves the right to speak out loud about our dreams? 

Is it because the word "dreamer" is often associated with that melancholic-romantic attitude that chooses to escape from the real world into a realm of fantasy? 

For as long as I can remember, daydreaming has been stigmatized in the Polish language.

 "Pipe dreams" (literally: dreams of a severed head) 

"Hope is the mother of fools" 

"Building castles in the sand" 

I guess we are not a very supportive nation. 

I also remember a saying that unfortunately took root in our language: "don't philosophize" (meaning: stop overthinking). I never understood it, because philosophy is the love of wisdom. Does that mean I shouldn't love wisdom? 

There used to be a Polish movie called "E=MC2". In one of the final scenes, a gangster asks the main character: "Maybe the Greeks invented cable TV too?", to which he replies: "No, but the Greeks laid the spiritual foundations for that cable." I love this scene.

But let's get back to the topic. 

Dreams. 

Sometimes I ask myself why this blog was even created. I think I like trying to describe the world with words. Sometimes even things that aren't easy to describe. It was created for one more purpose. To provoke reflection. 

You, dear reader, somewhere out there in the distant spaces on the other side of the monitor. 

Do you dream? 

Don't answer me. Answer yourself. Remember the last time you dreamed. Have you made a dream come true? 

In today's fast-changing world, slow down at least for a moment and ask yourself:

 "What do I dream about?"

I have fulfilled my dreams a few times in my life. The last time was a few days ago. Hence this post. Let it be a memory of a taste you can savor while dancing in the clouds :-)