I woke this morning bleary eyed and sat down for that first morning coffee. As the television spat out more bad news a short blip came across about one Susan Boyle from West Lothian,Scotland. Ms Boyle had been a contestant on Britain’s Got Talent and now through YouTube is touching the world.
As I sipped my coffee I watched Susan on YouTube and I was amazed. Ms. Boyle is 47 years old and by no means appears as the typical young wannabe be pop star. Her experience in singing comes from church and karaoke. As the audience and judges waited for Susan to begin you could see the apprehension.
Ms. Boyle had chosen to sing “I Dream A Dream” from Les Miserables. From the moment she began the audience was amazed. Susan Boyle’s voice was truly beautiful. By the end of the song everyone was applauding a new and astounding talent. I watched the clip twice as tears welled up. Susan Boyle was making her dream come true. My heart went out to Susan and my hopes for her success.
It wasn’t just a talented voice that touched me, it was her dream. As so many around the world struggle today in uncertain times our dreams seem to slip away. And for a 48 year old it was even more unbelievable. Her performance set a spark through me. Writing this article as an unemployed 52-year-old I was feeling like others, the weight of time pushing me down. Below are the lyrics to “I Dream A Dream”.
There was a time when men were kind
When their voices were soft
And their words inviting
There was a time when love was blind
And the world was a song
And the song was exciting
There was a time
Then it all went wrong
I dreamed a dream in time gone by
When hope was high
And life worth living
I dreamed that love would never die
I dreamed that God would be forgiving
Then I was young and unafraid
And dreams were made and used and wasted
There was no ransom to be paid
No song unsung, no wine untasted
But the tigers come at night
With their voices soft as thunder
As they tear your hope apart
And they turn your dream to shame
He slept a summer by my side
He filled my days with endless wonder
He took my childhood in his stride
But he was gone when autumn came
And still I dream he’ll come to me
That we will live the years together
But there are dreams that cannot be
And there are storms we cannot weather
I had a dream my life would be
So different from this hell I’m living
So different now from what it seemed
Now life has killed the dream I dreamed.
A more poignant song could not have been sung by Susan Boyle for her and the current world climate. As you read the lyrics it would not be farfetched to say that so many people around the world feel this way. And yet there is hope and there are dreams. It is not the dreams of politicians and world leaders that will truly change our world, but the dreams of the average person. Susan Boyle is a perfect example of dreams can happen.
So today I walk with a smile on my face and a new sense of hope for my own dreams and that of others. I encourage all people to seek their dreams and help others along the way. We truly can triumph over the obstacles of life before us. Congratulations Ms. Boyle, well done and thank you.