The Murder of the Dreamers?

There was a crime committed and it has yet to be solved. For the past 15 years or so I have been disillusioned by my search for the culprit. I don't really know where to begin. But there is one puzzle I would love to know the answer to. There is a crime scene that is complete with yellow tape and evidence of a possible violent struggle. The mystery of who killed the dreamers has perplexed me for some time now. This made me stop and wonder where I had glimpsed them last, and then I remembered.

Last seen at poetry readings, in front of pianos and guitars clanking and strumming, at lines in grocery stores writing snippets of prose on pieces of scratch paper, witnessed in city parks drawing portraits of passersby, in class with a hand to one cheek and eyes uplifted into the ether, riding on city subways with headphones listening to alternative sounds and thinking about the future, volunteering in third world countries, rallying in freedom marches, holding court with their conscience and making changes, dancing to the high heavens, wearing rose-colored glasses on a day of sunny optimism.

Where are these elusive beings of hope and justice; harbingers of goodwill and purpose? I am trying to find them before they succumb to 2.5 kids, a house in middle-class elegance, and a picket fence. I want to discover them before common sense and reason take over; before they have lost their courage and fire. I must find them soon before a murder is committed - a murder of the soul.

This fate of humdrum; worse then death will consume such a small minority of the populous in no time at all I fear. In my sleuthing efforts I'm trying to indentify the potential George Washington Carvers, Einstein's, Da Vinci's Huey P Newton's and Bobby Seale's. The blessed traces of forward thinking may have disintegrated into nothing. Are there no possible Gandhi's Martin Luther King's and Harriet Tubman's? Can we fail to languish without Rosa Parks, Toni Morrison's, Oprah's, and Deepak Chopra's, and vanish without Rachel Carson's, Susan B Anthony's, Isaac Newton's and Mozart's? Will we fade away without the Tupac Shakur's, Lewis Carroll's, Gene Roddenberry's and John Lennon's of the world?

Sitting back, I'm trying to reflect on these mysterious disappearances, to de-code the unknown circumstances of their social abduction. Could it be that amidst all of our fat free mocha latte's, celebrity gossip magazines, daily 9-5 grinds, top 40 music hysteria, and car exhaust induced smog, we have forgotten all about art, justice, freedom, great thinkers, philanthropists, philosophy, the greater good, love, kindness, self expression, and all the other pursuits that typically comprise the thoughts of a dreamer? I am tempted to believe that the dreamer has found a home right alongside chivalry; or that at least the ideals, values, and encouragement to create the dreamers have evaporated. But deep down I know even if the dreamers seem to be missing they are still among us. Small, if insistent voices struggling to be heard amid the sprawling sleepwalkers of the masses. Avant-garde messengers of hope, theories, new ideas, discoveries, exploration, and self- expression; people who know the meaning of living a life with purpose and bend their slant towards improving the future. Tasks that most would feel insurmountable feats, they take on without second thoughts for self-preservation, notoriety, or financial gain. These unique and courageous individuals come from all walks of life, social, racial, and religious backgrounds. They firmly believe that there are no limits to what you can accomplish if you put your mind to it. They walk the walk and talk the talk, and are committed unequivocally in their life missions. They inspire hope and change just by being who they are.

Meet some of my favorite modern day dreamers; some alive and some dead, and not stated necessarily in any particular order:

Tupac Shakur: Rapper, poet, political activist, revolutionary, street prophet.

Barack Obama: First African American President of the USA, Senator, Orator, Author, Statesman.

Saul Williams: Radical poet, speaker, actor, film maker, modern voice of the African people.

Betty Friedan: Co founder of (NOW) National Organization for Woman, right's activist, journalist, author.

Pauli Murray: Civil rights advocate, feminist, lawyer, writer, poet, teacher, and ordained priest.

Tori Amos: Singer, songwriter, woman's rights activist, co-founder of (RAIN) The Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network.

Neil Gaiman: Journalist, science fiction and fantasy writer.

Oprah Winfrey: Americantelevision presenter, media mogul, philanthropist, book critic, and magazine publisher.

Deepak Chopra: Medical doctor, world renowned health guru, motivational speaker, writer, yoga advocate, spiritualist.

Bono: Grammy award winning singer, songwriter, musician, political activist, philanthropist, and actor.

Stan Lee: American comic book writer, and editor, former president and chairman of Marvel Comics; creator of such popular characters as The Hulk, X-Men, and The Fantastic Four.

John Hutchison: "Mad" scientist, inventor, radical quantum physicist, conspiracy theorist.

If you think of any current modern-day dreamers that need to be added here, feel free to comment on who they are and the contributions they've made to the world. Dreamers need recognition. How else will we inspire more?