When We Believe, We Do

This essay is inspired by a child's mind.

So, I’ve written repeatedly of my interest in Korean culture. It’s not a unique thing- there’s actually at least one term for it: Koreaboo. Just like there are several levels of interest in Japanese anime (my husband insists he’s an otaku and frowns at weeaboo obsessions), people around the world enjoy learning about and expressing their interest in Korean music, film, food and other cultural expressions. I think whenever cultures touch, it helps ground us as one.

I’ve been enjoying my free time and available tools to check out parts of the scene on the other side of the planet from my cozy home in Wisconsin, USA. Just the other day, I found an Instagram posting of K-pop band BigBang’s member, G-Dragon, hosting a (RED) fundraiser on Omaze to support the purchase of antiviral medications against AIDS.

When I told my 10-year old I could donate to a worthy cause and get a chance to go to Seoul and have a meal with a K-pop star, he paused. Then, he simply said:

“I believe in you. You should follow your dream.”

Wow. OK. This wasn’t the first time he’s given me advice like this. It’s what he told me when I decided to start writing again and publishing my essays in this blog and see where that goes.

Logical Middle-Aged Mom Mind could come up with a laundry list of reasons to scoff at all of this and move on to “reality”. Yet, how unsettling and humbling it is to be given this mental pat on the shoulder and expectant nod to begin like that. You have the green light. Go for it, he’s telling me. I expect you to. With a child’s mind he can see a clear path between opportunity and success with one simple bridging action: believing it could come true by trying.

When we believe, we do.

Whatever it is, when you reach out, you risk getting burned. When you take a chance to speak, to write, to build or to draw something, you send the dice rolling out into the universe. It’s hard. There’s no guarantee whether you’ll succeed or fail.

There is, however, a raw beauty in the process of simply accepting, believing and following your dream.