I’ve been sharing some reflections about the Mississippi River as a metaphor for a dream. You can see previous articles here.
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The Mississippi River cuts a wide, powerful path through New Orleans. Yesterday we watched huge ocean-going cruise ships traverse its final miles on their way to the Gulf of Mexico.
It’s difficult to believe this is the same river we crossed on September 12th. Back then it was scarcely a trickle. You could hardly float a decent-sized toy boat in that tiny stream.
I’ve been thinking for eight weeks about how such an incredible transformation happens. How does an obscure babbling brook become one of the world’s great rivers?
The river grows through contributions from hundreds, perhaps thousands, of other sources. Small streams and major rivers drain water from a huge portion of the U.S. This collective input creates the great river.
I look back at Rich’s Ride and see remarkable similarities. The dream wandered and flickered in my mind for several years before I dared to write about it in an article called Nine Miles An Hour at Bouncing Back.
My puny dream didn’t grow through my efforts. It grew because so many people caught a vision and contributed so generously. Because others shared time, talent, and treasure beyond my wildest dreams, Rich’s Ride grew into something I would have never dared to imagine.
My sense is that most dreams work like that. Perhaps the original idea or the final result gets identified with one individual, but usually the dream’s development involves essential contributions large and small from many folks.
It is truly remarkable what can be accomplished when nobody cares who gets the credit. Rich’s Ride isn’t about Rich and it isn’t about a ride.
It’s about all of us—Together On A Journey Of Hope.
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