(38th Entry) Where do dreams come from…

I’ve been asking myself recently… Why do I want to give back…? (Read the Mission Statement for details… right hand side of blog!) Then again… Why does anyone want to give back? Why do people feel the need to be philanthropic? What motivates us?

I remember when I was young; playing in Oklahoma at my grand parent’s house during summer visits. I had an old check book. I created my own orphanage with plans for buildings and money for paying bills. I remember that the doctor was Dr. Marcus Welby. This was something that I spent a lot of time designing and analyzing… as much as any young child can analyze.

I’ve talked a little about my experiences at Scottish Rite Hospital where I attended therapy from the age of two until four. (Entries 12 and 19) I was supposed to be learning how to live with and use artificial arms…

I remember the kids stuck in this hospital. I remember the wards were old, dark and depressing. I remember kids lined up in rows in the ward. This was the early 60’s. Anyone around during those times remembers the old style hospitals made of rock and other heavy materials. They were built to last, but were very depressing and very impersonal. I was fortunate. I was the first outpatient at Scottish Rites. I walked out at the end of my therapy. I often wonder when I look back at those days playing in Oklahoma if that was the motivation for designing orphanages. I remember thinking that an orphanage ought to be like summer camp with counselors and lots activities.

If we really think about our lives, what we’re doing and why we’re doing it, we can almost always find a reason and an answer for how and why we got to where we are. Our interests, desires and motivation often come from what we might consider inconsequential events until we look back and piece together the puzzle.

The story of designing orphanages is just one piece of the puzzle for why I’m trying to do the things that are outlined in the Mission Statement. There’s a thousand other pieces to the puzzle… many known and more that probably will be discovered along the way.