I met Ken the other day. We were at the Kennedy Space centre near Cape Canaveral at the Exploring Mars exhibit. With energy and conviction, supported by the chorus of scientists on the screen behind him, he said to the young people gathered there, “Space exploration isn’t just about pushing boundaries. It fulfils a deep need to understand our world and to explore the nature and the meaning of human life.” I couldn’t have said it better myself. He went on, “It’s going to take creative thinkers and problem-solvers like you to help us on this incredible journey through space … We don’t know what the universe is made of…We don’t know what the limits of the universe are. It’s not all figured out. It’s never all figured out …We really only learn by going out there and exploring the boundaries.” His monologue was inspiring, and all eyes were glued to him and the scientists who joined him. The questions kept coming. “What happened to Mars? Could it happen here on earth? Could you bring Mars back to life? Would we be learning what our eventual future may be?” Then the climax – “If you want to be part of something big – I mean really big – you could take a risk and, like primitive man, walk out of the cave and over the hill into a whole new world of discovery. The first person to live on Mars might be in our audience today! You are the ones who are going to lead us to new frontiers and beyond, because you are tomorrow’s explorers.”
That night as we drove into Orlando, (the home of Disneyworld and all sorts of other theme parks for the entertainment of the young and the not-so-young), the illuminated billboards featured Harry Potter, wand in hand, stretching out into a starry universe. The caption read, “Courage is Universal”. It was an ad for Universal Studios.
My first reaction was – “You think that’s Courage? I’ll show you real Courage!” (as in Ken’s monologue at the Space Centre). I might be slow, but eventually I realised that this is how our children practise how to be brave, experience the emotions of discovery and heroism, learn about the demands on character and ethics, sample the choices that we all have to make in life, and cycle through the repeated challenges that life will throw at them. So, long live Harry Potter and his wand! Courage is indeed universal.
Sharonne
The Journeys and Seasons of the Soul