One of my favorite quotes of all time, and the first time I ever heard it was in the original Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory movie with Gene Wilder.  Who ever heard of a snozzberry?

We’ve become to regimented in what we think is real, that we’ve forgotten how to dream.  There comes a point in our lives where we are told, “Its time to grow up.”  I think this is the single worst thing we can ever tell our children.  “Grow up” has become a euphemism for “Start Making Money”.  We stop seeing the beauty around us, and start looking for ways to make a quick buck so we can have that new shiny thing.  It is at that moment that we don our blinders and start seeing the world in a narrow angle, unable to see all the things we used to see as a child.

I have refused to grow up.  I do go to work every day, but that does not define who I am. My day job is a result of the society we’ve created.  Which I think, quite frankly, is more of a nightmare than any sort of dream.  Yet another shooting yesterday — when will it end?

I refuse to allow these things to define my life, or deter my question to change the dream — we should certainly not give up, we have to start focusing on the things that matter.  First we must begin with ourselves.  Everything you do causes a butterfly effect, I’ve seen this first hand.  I have seen someone having a bad day, and a simple “good morning” lightens the burden on that person’s soul and by the end of the day that person is smiling and well-wishing others.  We are a chaotic, dynamic system.  For every action you perform, there is a reaction and it spreads through society.

When we recognize that we are dreamers, and we have dreams, we can do amazing things.  But we must remember that there are consequences to negative actions, and try to curb those primal selfish urges.

Its a beautiful day here in Virginia, so today, I’m going to find some snozzberries, visit with my friends and family, and unplug the TV.  Wanna join me?