A man, a plan, a canal - Panama!

This lovely little memorable phrase is a palindrome referring          (I think), to George W. Goethels, one of a handful of its Chief Engineers. The canal was started in 1881 by France but halted due to disease and mortalities, taken over by the U.S. in 1904 and completed in 1914. Nearby Goethels Bridge to/from Staten Island is familiar - on one early trip in the '80s our family traversed it 3 times in one hour, confused by poor signs as to which way to go.

I mention palindromes because they spell the same words backwards as forwards, kinda like DaVinci's mirror writing.  I'd have fun as a kid in Sister Charlie's 6th grade class writing country names backwards, like A-C-I-R-E-M-A. Fun huh? Another example is Dogma: I Am God, which is close to my heart having believed it for Myself when fully manic years ago. Medications have helped clear my mind of the mania since, but I'm not sure what clears out dogma. It seems it's only being replaced with newer dogma.

From Reverend Doctor Martin Luthor King Junior's church sermons, to the 1954 Civil Rights Act, more laws followed, hearts began changing, social norms and stereotypes changing, morphing into human rights for everyone around the world, such as Gandhi had led before King. An example of a dream becoming reality, a huge dream becoming even a more amazing universal reality. Harder than changin' lead to gold, I think. Harder than changin' letters into words and then into palindromes.

It seems to me the inventors start with an idea, maybe an image. It may sit for months or years or they begin tinkering immediately. They wake with or form a dream, a goal. And if strong enuff, if driven and motivated enuff, thru their hard work and effort, with help or no, fortuity or no, it probably becomes reality - if not now then in a similar form in the near future, or even at the same time by someone else halfway around the world.

Like the 17th century formation of calculus by Newton, Leibniz and others, or solo -- like flying machines improving from Kitty Hawk's Wright Flyer I to the size of Jumbo 747-8Is carrying 460+ people passengers. 

What's the point? 

We're all each and every one of us on a journey of discovery baby, with side trips to reality as we see it, not only possible but probable.

Best, Rod

Surviving Bipolar Disorder in the modern age . . . a journey of Hope for the afflicted.
My poetic memoir Episodes available at www.amazon.com/episodes-rodney-richards/dp/0615914705/   

 

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