Imagine

Imagine. There is some tribe in the Amazon jungle who has never had contact with our modern world. This is a very sophisticated tribe with good laws and a commendable system of education. The teachers are intelligent and highly trained. Obviously their knowledge is based on what the world around them seems to be, what their observations are. It is, in fact, highly probable that they have an advanced system of scientific evaluation as well, using the tools, knowledge and material available to them. Well, one day fresh young Peace Corps volunteer is left on the bank of a nearby river, dropped off by a local pilot. This area is a bit uncharted and for our purposes, the young man is sent there to meet the locals. He arrives in the tribal village and there is a lot of surprise for the villagers, but they are a peaceful and sophisticated tribe and after a while they welcome the young man to dinner.

During dinner, there is the question of how the young man got here in the first place, since he is so different from the few people they have met outside their village. The young man attempts to explain through body language and some rudimentary words they have exchanged about how he flew in a plane, landed at the river and then walked to their village. Looks are exchanged amongst the teachers and rest of the group. They ask further questions about the flying motions the young man made and ascertain that this is indeed the idea he is trying to put across.

Then, the commotion begins. Arguments erupt from the villages, how can this flying be? They know that it is impossible. Crazy Ato had always said it was possible, but wasn't his widow tearful proof that it was not so? The young man knows he cannot explain with his limited vocabulary and the matter is put aside. Some time later, when the young man's vocabulary has grown and so has the tribe's, he again attempts to explain how flying is possible. Heads and fists are shaken, because they know this is simply not possible. They have irrefutable proof. They have tried it before. They have not succeeded. Therefore , IT IS NOT POSSIBLE! After much discussion and explantion, which is difficult for the young man, since he doesn't actually understand the principles of flight that much. But he does know that it works. Some may begin to believe, but are still unsure. When the time comes for the young man to go home, the villagers walk with him to the river where the plane will pick him up. The villagers, despite being told that flight is possible, are still quite afraid. When the plane lands, only one will brave a ride in the machine. It seems that it is more and more impossible as the plane is obviously too heavy for a man to carry, how could it fly? And why would they want such a device in their lives? The young man understands that with such a tool as this, some of their people could have been saved after a fall with new medical trauma techniques. How does one explain this? How does one show them that this 'impossible' situation is not only possible, but beneficial?

Perhaps this is the million dollar question.

I think it is important to remember that simply because a thing hasn't existed in your observation of the universe, it does not mean that it is impossible to exist. That because you don't believe a thing is possible, does not mean that it is impossible.

How do we keep our minds open to possibility? How do we make the leap into future possibilities?

Points to ponder I believe.