Dare to dream

Dr Fahim Chand | Monday May 5, 2025 06:00

The world is vast yet close, magical yet real clouds are castles, and puddles hold galaxies. Every question is an adventure, every answer a doorway to more mystery. I have no fear of the unknown, only delight in discovery.

At five years old, my world is alive with endless possibilitie trees whisper secrets, and dreams take flight. In my curious eyes, the universe is boundless, untouched by doubt. But when does that fearless imagination fade, quietly overtaken by reality’s rigid truths? One day, the towering redwood no longer spins tales of adventure; it simply stands, a silent giver of oxygen, its magic distilled into science.

A necessary understanding, perhaps, but far less thrilling than the heroes I once saw soar-ing through the sky, fending off cosmic invad-ers. Reality offers knowledge, but childhood offers wonder and I wonder which is greater. As our minds accumulate knowledge, reality becomes inescapable. Yet perhaps the secret to a joyful life lies in preserving that flicker of childlike wonder, shielding it from the relent-less tide of practicality.

Thinking back to my childhood in Lobatse, I smile, recalling a world brimming with in-finite possibilities.

As a young boy, two things fascinated me above all—fast cars and the endless abyss of space. I wasn’t alone in my obsession. Heated debates filled our days: Was Ford or Chevrolet the king of the dirt road from Lobatse to Gab-orone? In our insulated, internet-less world, we knew little of the lightning-fast Porsches and Ferraris tearing through distant race-tracks—though that may not be entirely true.

We followed our local Formula 1 hero, South African Jody Scheckter, with unwaver-ing devotion, watching him chase his dream