Dr.Carl Sagan, the noted astronomer, tells vividly of
his childhood fascination with the "stars":
While searching for information at the library he
asked a kindly librarian for "a book on the stars,"
which she located for him. He looked through the
glossy photos and pages of familiar"movie stars"
and handed it back to her, saying, "No, not these
stars. I mean those stars," and pointed upward.
The wise lady replied, "You are a smart boy," and
promptly found a simple text on the wonders of the
cosmos.
Today this same individual, the once-curious small boy,
has become a world-renowned astronomer as well as a
Pulitzer Prize winning author, with many books to his
credit. Frequently he has explained how lucky he was
to have encouragement in his youth, determination in his
career, and talent enough to accomplish his dreams.
How often have the endless span of night skies,
with stars glittering like a beckoning warmth, inspired
childhood wonder, fascination and dreams? And how often
are those same childhood dreams and insatiable curiosity
stifled by lack of supportive encouragement from
adults?
According to John Dewey in THE QUEST FOR CERTAINTY,
"Every great advance
in science has issued from a new audacity of imagination."
To invent and to create, a mind has to be free enough for
the imagination to live without restraint.
Currently, due to Dr. Sagan's wide-reaching efforts at
educating the public, many people have learned more about
our cosmos and our earth in scientific and historic perspective
than they might have ever conceived before. And all his
work is tempered with such a deep love of humanity, such
awe and respect for life itself, that no one can read his
words and remain untouched.
It is human nature to be curious, to wonder and
finally to imagine. Without this most necessary trait,
we would still be mired down in our own small world.
But because we dared to dream and made those dreams
reality, we have touched the sky, the moon and soared as freely
as our imaginations.
The world is a complex place, and so it follows that
the cosmos is also a complicated enigma, still virtually
unexplored. I am convinced the cosmos is a new frontier
as surely as America once was. It is the arena in which
future generations will play out humankind's destiny.
To discourage a child's healthy curiosity is to kill
a little of that brave, inquiring spirit each
human possesses. To give answers where none actually
exist is to cheat a child out of their own
exploration into the unknown, perhaps where
they might make a worthwhile discovery.
The stars have spoken to many generations, and
to each they had a similar message:
For children it is: "Dare to dream and discover."
For adults it is: "Encourage children's dreams and
curiosity."
Imagination is the thread we need for mending our
world's present injuries, and the fuel
we need for taking us beyond this planet we call
home into the vast cosmos of all our tomorrows.
[Note: Dr. Carl Sagan died in December 1996; he will
be missed greatly by those like myself who admired
him -- and for whom he took the time to encourage and
inspire during his lifetime.]
