I’m a dreamer. I always have been since I was a child. As an avid reader, I imagined myself in faraway lands, even traveling to outer space. My cousins and I composed plays from our imaginings which we presented to our parents during our visits together. We built tree houses and pretended to be pirates. Our dreams were boundless, only limited by the creativity of our minds and our ability to see ourselves in new situations. So, it’s not difficult to understand why I ask my young patients: What dreams live in your imagination?
This questioning first began when I worked at a community health care center in the inner city of Indianapolis. It started because of the hopelessness I saw in many of the people I cared for. When did they stop dreaming about goals for their life? Were their dreams buried somewhere deep within or crushed under the weight of sheer survival?
I worked toward the answer by first asking what I thought would be an easy question of my young patients during their well child visits: What do you want to do after you graduate from high school? Since I knew the dropout rate was high in the area, I purposefully didn’t say “If” you graduate. I wanted them to know I assumed they would complete high school. Instead of the answers I expected, I received blank stares like I was crazy to even ask such a question.
But I wasn’t going to let this deter me, so I followed up with a more open question: What do you dream about doing when you grow up? Again, blank stares were my answers. Even their parents remained quiet, maybe surprised that anyone would ask such a thing.
Instead of giving up at that point, I asked a direct question that any child could answer: What is your favorite subject in school? Only then did my young patients open up with a myriad of answers. “My favorite class is science.” I’m really good at math.” ” I love to draw in art class.” And the list goes on and on.
“Good for you!” I would say to them and then give them something to think about. “My favorite class in school was science and that’s why I chose to be a doctor.” Or “My nephew loved to draw when he was a boy and now he makes movies in Hollywood.” Or “I wasn’t very good at math, but I learned how to do it by working hard. I’m glad you’re already good at math. Maybe this is something you could study in college.” Tell me what dreams live in your imagination worth reaching for?
With my questions, I wanted to encourage my young patients to dream. But, more than that, I wanted to give them permission to dream. I wanted them to know that even if they live in a poor neighborhood, even if no one in their family has ever gone to college, they can dream great dreams and make them a reality. There are resources out there to help them.
Very few of the parents knew anything about FAFSA forms for financial aid or Pell Grants. So, this initiated conversations about speaking with their guidance counselors at school to sign up for these resources to pay for college. In the state of Indiana, a program called Work Force One helps pay for technical school and connects students with apprenticeships to learn a trade.
So, rather than simply assessing my young patient’s physical health, I used the well child visit as an opportunity to encourage them to dream about a different future. And I wasn’t the only one doing this. When I polled several other providers in the clinic, they saw the need and asked their patients questions similar to my own.
Our actions were based on a common belief that all people are created equal but not everyone starts at the same spot. Race, culture, and disabilities hold some at a greater disadvantage than others. Every one of the doctors and nurse practitioners in our clinic had advantages that helped them achieve their dreams. If we value the humanity of our patients and see them as beloved children of God, then it follows that we would give them a hand up to find a way to achieve their own dreams too.
So, what dreams live in your imagination? If you’re a dreamer like me, can we share a common goal? In my imagination, I see a world where all children are given a fair opportunity to achieve their goals. Many programs already exist to help them do this. But for some reason, this information is either not getting to their parents or not being implemented.
Reach out with encouragement. Be a mentor to children needing help to keep up with their studies. I realize that not every dream is realistic. It’s unlikely I’ll ever go to outer space and I have no desire anymore to be a pirate. But, if a child dreams of becoming a doctor and they have the aptitude for this career, I want to be a part of helping them achieve it. How about you?
Suzanne Montgomery is a Family Physician, Author, Wife, Mother, and Grandmother. She’s a Lover of Gardening, Hiking, and Jesus (not necessarily in that order). If you have enjoyed this blog post, consider checking out some of her other writing at suzannemontgomery.com, facebook.com/drsuzannemontgomery/, and instagram.com/drsmontgomery/
*Photos from Canva
