Do you remember when imagination filled your life? When you believed that all things were possible? As a young child I explored the solar system and far off galaxies. My mind took me there, though my spaceship was mom's laptop ironing board and occasionally, a box or two. Later, I learned that I would not be an aerospace engineer when my winged orange crates crashed off the back porch steps to the ground, breaking into pieces. Luckily, my friend and I were not like the Wright Brothers and had chosen a free fall without us in the craft, though we had seriously contemplated one of us being the test pilot. Later, with the arrival of my "big" bike my travel world expanded beyond the neighborhood as I explored new worlds in my mind and new streets on my bike. Little of Galion, Ohio of the 50's was left unexplored via magnificent adventures and safaris. But as the years passed, there was less time for imagination. After all, there was work, marriage, responsibilities, and more work. Today, we live in a culture where science, data, and facts are gods. The Missouri "show me" model is in vogue. If you can't prove it, it does not exist. For all of this new knowledge, has the world become any friendlier? Perhaps the time has arrived for us again to be energized by our imagination and believe that there are ways to improve life for all and that it is possible. For the Missourians who might be reading this, there is more and more quantum physics research indicating that narrow definitions of reality no longer hold true, that not everything is predictable or can be planned, and that the mind has tremendous power to affect inwardly and outwardly. With imagination comes dreams and with dreams comes hope. If enough of us come together, change must follow. So today, why not let a little imagination enter your life? Who knows where it will carry you.

Bob Casey is a poet, writer, educator, speaker, and presenter. He has cycled, hiked, sailed, and traveled to many far off destinations. He also spent a year on a teaching Fulbright in New Zealand. His many interests, include yoga, Tai Chi, skiing, cycling, photography, and wine collecting. “Poet Bob,” as his car license plate declares, is currently president of the Ohio Poetry Association. This position allows him to interact with some of America's best poets. His first book, The Wanderer: A Poetical Journey published in 2002, focused on his around the world trip and the insights gained. His most recent book, Wisdom from the Journey, offers a diverse selection of poems, comments, vignettes, and recommendations complied from the “best” of his monthly e-zine, the Poetical Journal, which reaches over 13,000 subscribers worldwide. As one reader states, “…In a world of discontent, malice, greed and wars, the Poetical Journal is an oasis to nourish the soul.” His next book will be out late in 2006. To read more of his work, go to http://www.poeticaljourneys.com

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