Rondo alla Turca
 On
this and other sites, I've talked from time to time
about my dreams, particularly those I've been lucky
enough to realize. Earlier this month, I stood in
the shadows of the Very Large Array. Two years ago,
I swam in the clear waters of the Mediterranean.
Back in 1995, I sat in the captain's chair on the
"Star Trek" sound stage at Paramount Studios.
We all have dreams, big and small. It's part of
what drives us to achieve goals. Sometimes we
realize our dreams through hard work, sometimes
through good luck. When I was a child, I fantasized
about going on an African safari. At some point in
my life, I probably would have worked hard to earn
the money to do so, but when I was in the Navy, I
was lucky enough to make a port call in Mombasa,
Kenya. During that stopover, I spent two days
chasing elephants, zebra, giraffe and other wild
animals in the shadow of Mt. Kilimanjaro.
Of course, I have plenty of dreams I've not yet
been lucky or productive enough to make reality.
You're hearing one of them right now (unless you
have your computer speakers turned off). It's
Mozart's "Rondo alla Turca" (Turkish March) from
Piano Sonata No. 11. From the moment I first heard
this piece, I've wanted to learn it. Unfortunately,
I don't know how to play the piano, so it's one of
those dreams that will require lots of hard work to
achieve. (Note: Netscape users might not hear the
music playing in the background; here's a direct
link to hear it.)
Another dream requiring lots of hard
work—as well as more than a little
luck—would be to climb Mount Everest. I have
no illusions about the likelihood of this one
coming to pass. I have no real mountain-climbing
expertise, and I doubt I will have the disposable
income necessary to mount such an expedition (or
whether I'd want to spend it in that manner if I
did). But the adrenaline rush of even contemplating
such a feat thrills me enough to make me attempt
other, more realistic adventures.
And then there's Antarctica. Whether it would
require hard work, money or luck to set foot on
this continent would likely depend on the
circumstances. But there's something about the
sheer wildness of Antarctica that has always
appealed to me. Vast ice shelves, bays of indigo
blue water, sunlight glittering like diamonds on
every edge... I imagine it as the most otherworldly
experience one can have without leaving the
planet—other than scuba diving under
the ice of Antarctica, something I would love
to try if I ever make it to the southern end of the
Earth.
I have many other dreams that require a mix of
luck and hard work: publishing a science fiction
novel, setting foot inside King Tut's tomb,
witnessing the aurora borealis. I hope I'm as lucky
seeing them come true as I have been with past
dreams. Especially with the one that requires the
most luck of all: sitting on the 50-yard-line in
the Super Bowl, watching the San Diego Chargers win
the Big Game!
Development note: I've
noticed that this site doesn't look like it should
in Netscape Navigator. Rather than waste time
jury-rigging it to look right in a
soon-to-be-obsolete browser, I'll just add the
cliché "This site best viewed with Internet
Explorer."
©2003 Michael
Strickland ALL RIGHTS
RESERVED
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