Believe in it, and it
will happen
Xavier Trevino
There comes a time in a man's life when
he has to admit that there is more to life than is dreamt of in his philosophy,
that the world is larger than himself and contains limitless possibilities
and wonders.
I had the pleasure of attending the cinema
this weekend. The night's feature was M. Night Shyamalan's new film Unbreakable.
Many of you may have seen his debut film The Sixth Sense. This film,
like his previous one, deals with the supernatural, the world behind the
reality in which we find such security.
On the surface, the film depicts the closest
real life could come to a comic book, complete with villains, plot twists,
and a noble hero. Below the surface, it leads a person to wonder "What
if?"
That question has become more of a metaphor
in today's society than a mere query.
The phrase symbolizes the endless possibilities
that lie before us in our daily lives.
I have often dreamt of worlds beyond this
one. I reflect on them on sunlit days while mowing the lawn. They come
to me at the end of a seven-hour study session. I'm sure you have escaped
to one of these places before.
Maybe we share one.
We like to think we have a solid grasp
on reality and the world around us. That may be the problem. There is no
wonder in the world anymore. There is no more magic.
Is it any wonder we flock to films and
books featuring fantastic tales and amazing stories? It's because we yearn
for such things. We want to believe there is something more out there.
At times this belief may be mistaken for
religion -- at other times, sheer lunacy. I prefer to call it a state of
perpetual awareness so that, no matter what happens, disbelief will not
be an option.
I believe there are things out there that
happen and cannot be explained.
Chances are we aren't ready to hear the
real explanation.
I often ask a question to my Christian
friends: "If magic was not real, then why would the Bible speak against
it as it does theft, rape, and murder?"
They often struggle for the answer.
Belief and faith are an all too potent
combination. Some even say they shape our very existence.
I'm not saying there is a Bigfoot, or that
the chupacabra stole your baby. What I am saying is that in order
to survive in today's world of automated, user-friendly, guaranteed, e-crap.com
we need to have an open mind for the endless possibilities of life.
Remember when you were willing to bet your
favorite G.I. Joe with the kung-fu grip that Santa Claus was real? You
knew with the utmost confidence that the Tooth Fairy sold your teeth on
the black market. Spray paint companies used your teeth to line the inside
of cans.
I'm not asking you to digress on your quest
for adulthood, but rather embrace that part of you that wants to believe.
Leave yourself open to the impossible and
it will be so.
This is how cures for diseases are found.
This is how man was able to land on the moon. If you let your belief shape
your reality, anything is possible.
