Houston - We Don't Have A Problem...But I Do Have A Dream...

When I was 18 I went to Space Academy in America. The idea had be born several years before. I'd been at a slight crossroads; my life-long dream to be a doctor had sort of changed overnight (that's another story...)  I had always wanted to be a doctor... and now - no more doctoring for me. I remember my family trying to convince me to reconsider but my mind was made up. The only problem I then had was what on earth to do now... 

Then one day I was watching the fairly awful 80's movie "Space Camp" - for those of you who haven't seen it... a bunch of bratty kids, go to Space camp, get picked to sit on a shuttle during a test firing and something goes wrong and they get launched into space. (Oops think its du jour these days to warn of a plot spoiler but seriously you're not missing an awful lot.) However at 16 I was fascinated. Right, if I can't be a doctor I'll focus on my other great interest and do that whole space thing... In truth I had no idea really what "bit" of Space thing I was going to do, I just generally REALLY liked the idea. 

So in all ernst of a 16 year old who absolutely thought they were quite grown-up I announced to my mother that I wanted to go to Space Camp. I remember her looking through the hatch from the kitchen to the lounge (hey it was the 80's hatches were very fashionable!!) and make some comment of "sure you can dear as long as you pay for it".

So, bearing in mind the internet was far far away in a land not quite thought of yet and me being completely trusting in society, I wrote a letter - a real letter, paper, pen, everything - saying I wanted to go to Space Camp and sent it to "NASA, Houston, America". I wish the story demonstrated a higher level of sophistication but alas no. Several months later a simple brochure was posted through my door.  Success! However I then worked out to go I would need to raise several thousand pounds to cover not only the course but flights, travel, insurance the lot giving further proof I was a spreadsheet girl before spreadsheets were invented.

So I got creative... I started small. I had already been working a Saturday job since I was 12 (it was legal back then - honest) but at £1.95 an hour I wouldn't be going far. So I got 2 jobs, a part time office job in addition to the job at C&A's (oh yes people blue polyester uniforms whoo hoo!) and yes, in addition to college. I then got very creative... I'd raid jumble sales looking for anything antiquey (dragging Mum with me) and then every couple of months have a stall in an antiques fair where we'd re-flog everything for a hefty mark up. At 16 I was already a wheeler dealer! 

At 17 I remember announcing to the world that not only did I have enough money to go to Space Camp but I'd arranged to stay with some friends of an Uncle and would actually be combining the 2 week course in Alabama with 3 week holiday in New York. And that's exactly what I did and if I do say so myself had a flipping AMAZING time.

What struck me out of all that was when I first told people about my plans to go (and fund my trip) to Space Academy most people looked at a very naive 16 year old and smiled sympathetically? Patronisingly? Cynically? And to be fair they had cause. But at 16, I had a "dream",  I saw great hope and opportunities in the world and had an unwavering belief I could achieve anything if I was that determined.... I was a kitsch 80's movie in my own right - where was Molly Ringwold when you needed her?? 

So the question for today is at what point do we loose that childlike hope, dreams and seeing the world as full of possibilities? If a 16 year old today told me they were going to raise this money and go on an amazing trip I'd be more than cynical at the success rates of that. But back then I had an absolute belief I could change the world - or at the very least the bit of the world I lived in - that, in the words of an old teacher of mine, "I was only restricted by my own limitations". Today when faced with a challenge my natural instinct is to see the associated hurdles and obstacles as problems, as negatives; back then they were true, fun challenges that I 100% knew I'd win, the game was just to work out how. 

So whilst I don't actually recommend spending your Saturday mornings trawling jumble sales for glass dressing-table sets (especially as we now have ebay), perhaps sometimes I can remember some of the youthful hope and optimism whenever my girls announce they want to achieve something rather radical, to not automatically start listing issues but, instead,  to see whatever it is I can do to help and inspire them. And through that teach them that they truly can achieve whatever it is they want and indeed, perhaps, change the world. In the meantime I'm just off to destroy any DVD that has bratty teenagers going off to incredibly expensive holiday camps in America....