Dreaming of Mars, Essay Example

In the short story “The Secret Lion,” Albert Rios writes about childhood dreamsof dining new and exciting places to explore. I can relate to this, as I am originally from Turkey and I now live and study in New York. For as long as I can remember I dreamed of coming to America, believing it would be a place that would offer me all the opportunities I could not find in my home country. Now that I am older, I have a different perspective on some of the things I used to believe when I was younger, but I have found that coming here was in fact a route towards achieving many of my goals and dreams. For me, coming to America was itself an achievement and I do not often think of other places I could go where I would be happier or could accomplish things that I could not accomplish here. If I had to choose a far-off destination where I could go, and could never come back, it would have to be someplace very special. It would also have to be someplace very far away, so far that I would not be able to return even if I wanted to. There is only one place that fits these guidelines: Mars.

It may seem crasy to most people to think of the idea of going to the planet Mars and never coming back. And I admit that I do not spend much time secretly planning my escape to the Red Planet. Still, there is something very exciting and exotic about the idea of being the first human being (or one of the first human beings, anyway) to go live on another planet. It seems very possible, and even likely, that within my lifetime there will be manned missions to Mars. It is also possible that such missions will be one-way trips, and that any humans who travel to Mars will become permanent settlers. The costs and difficulty of traveling to Mars and establishing a safe and livable environment will mean that the first astronauts there will be part of setting up a permanent, sustainable future for later travelers. If done correctly, such a sustainable environment will be home to humans who reproduce, producing future generations of people who will be the very first “Martians.” It may be a long way off, but it is something that is almost assuredly going to happen.

In “The Secret Lion” by Albert Rios the narrator describes how he and a childhood friend ventured off to a far-off dreamland that was like Heaven on Earth, with rolling green hills and beautiful landscaping. As it turned out, the young boys had simply come across a golf course. At the time, in their youth, they felt as if they had traveled very far and discovered something unique. Looking back, the author sees how much smaller the world has become as he has grown to adulthood. In some cases the dreams we have of finding happiness down the road or around the corner end up being replaced by bigger dreams of brighter futures. And in some cases the things we dream of as being the greatest thing that could possible happen end up being disappointing if we actually accomplish them.

I have learned that following your dreams really can bring happiness, but it also comes with many challenges. I had to leave people and things behind to come to America, and I would certainly have to do the same if I went to Mars. Most people in the world never move far from their families and the places they were born (Taylor, 2008). And sometimes when our dreams are disappointing we get “something taken away from us” (Rios, 1984). There are people right now who are not waiting for others to do it, and are planning a trip to Mars for the first human beings (Mars One, n.d.). If I had the opportunity to go, and I thought I could make a difference for the human race, I would at least consider it. At the same time, I realize that I would be leaving behind everyone and everything I ever knew, which would make it a difficult decision. That is the kind of journey that one cannot ever wake up from; if it turns out to be Hell instead of Heaven, there is no coming back. It may be better to keep dreaming about Mars, and keep living on Earth.

References

Mars One,. Mars One. Retrieved 1 January 2015, from http://www.mars-one.com/

Rios, A. (1984). http://teachfreespeech.com/. Retrieved 1 January 2015, from http://teachfreespeech.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/The-Secret-Lion-Text.pdf

Taylor, P. (2008). American Mobility Who Moves? Who Stays Put? Where’s Home?. Pew Research Center. Retrieved 3 January 2015, from http://pewsocialtrends.org/files/2010/10/Movers-and-Stayers.pdf