Imagine

Can you imagine not having an imagination? I've been giving this some thought today and, well frankly, I can't imagine it!  I have a very active imagination as you can tell from my opening sentence.

I accuse my husband of not having an imagination.  He is very smart and he is a very good man, but he is not big on unnecessary conversations.  One day while we were waiting for our breakfast at a local restaurant I was determined to get him engaged in some sort of conversation with me.  I asked him what would he do if he was being chased by some angry tribal natives with poison arrows to the edge of a roaring river full of large boulders and rapids with only a rickety wooden bridge to cross it and a hungry, ferocious angry bear on the opposite bank.  He just looked at me like I was some kind of crazy woman and then our food arrived.  He didn't answer the question.  I accused him, yet again of not having an imagination.

Thankfully the world is full of imaginative people.   Where would we be without our favorite authors, our movie producers and most importantly our scientists?  It takes a mighty big imagination for scientists to think up the things they come up with.  We wouldn't have made such great strides in medicine, computer technology, and space exploration if it wasn't for their great imaginations.



When my husband and I visit museums, historical sites and antique stores my imagination goes wild.  When I see items used by women in their homes I picture myself using these items.  I imagine using a pretty set of china, setting the table with it and beautiful silverware.  I imagine the clothes she might have worn at that particular meal and if it was a special occasion or maybe a Sunday dinner with her family.  This explains why it takes me longer to get through these places than my husband! 

Or when we visit old cemeteries, as I look at the headstones I try to imagine what their lives was like.  Many headstones give you just enough information to have a good idea of what kind of life a person might have lead.  For example,  "Anna May Smith, Beloved Wife, Mother and Grandmother.  She will be dearly missed by all whose lives she touched."  This was a woman who devoted her life to her family and left a loving legacy.  Or, "Pvt. John A. Smith, 76 Regiment, WWI Veteran."  This was a young man taken before he had a chance to grow old.  He will remain forever young because he gave his life to his country.  He probably had a girlfriend back home waiting for him who had to go on with her life.  She eventually married a good man, had children and grandchildren, just like Anna May Smith, but her first loved remained forever in her heart never to be forgotten.

Yes, imaginations are very important.  We need them to grow, to survive in a hectic world and to stay sane.  It is a way to filter out the ridiculous things we see every day.  So, the next time you're in a long line or waiting for a food order with someone who doesn't talk, look at a person near you and imagine who she is.  She is probably in the witness protection plan working for the CIA, speaks fifteen languages and can wrestle a 200 pound bear waiting for her at the other side of the raging river while she is running from crazy tribal people carrying poison arrows!   Try it, it's fun!

"Now faith is the substance

of things hoped for,

the evidence of things not seen."

Hebrews 11:1