The power of dreams

I was driving back from the Huka Jet towards Taupo town when I saw a sign saying 'NZ woodcraft and ceramics'. On an impulse I took the detour and went into the shop. Inside were a great many fine woodturned bowls and other items in kauri and rimu and other types of wood. The grain in the wood had created unique patterns in them so that each one of them was a unique piece, with its own stamp and its own signature.

Halfway through I saw a sign that said that Chris was selling his business and tools etc. On the way out I walked over to the man at the counter and asked him, "Are you Chris?", "Yes", "Are you selling your business?", "Yes", "Why?" "Because I have been doing it for the past 20 years and now I want to fly planes instead". Mind you, Chris looked like he was in the early fifties, so rather doubtfully I asked "Oh, you want to become a pilot?", "Yes, I have been training to fly for the last four years", "And fly commercial flights?" "No, I am too old for that, but I would like to fly planes that are used for top-dressing", "What is that?", "Planes that spray fertiliser on fields", "Then what about woodturning, are you going to give it up? This is such a major switch, are you going to give up your passion?". "Yes, it is a major switch, that is why I have been training to fly. But woodturning is not my passion, now it is just a job that has to be done, even though it began as a passion. Now flying is my passion. I took my first flight when I was five and decided then that I would fly someday even though it took me 55 years to fulfill my dream".

I was so impressed and moved with this that I asked to take his photograph in front of the pictures of the planes that he had up put up. He kindly obliged.

It is never too late to realise your dreams, so what if you are only a few steps away from the grave. It is just that you should never let go of them. Chris is such a Godsend.