I have a dream, but is it the right one?

Thousands of students in the audience laughed, chanted and made jokes.

One would have thought that it was a perfectly legitimate wish, to be healthy. Without good health, we can’t really accomplish anything.

Why then, did the audience think it was funny, and a not-so-smart answer? The answer might be that it was a beauty contest.

I mean the person chosen for any beauty contest has to be beautiful and must lead a healthy life anyway. Maybe the contestant should have added to her answer how she would have liked to live her life and contribute to society, given that she was in good health.

We don’t know whether the student got any prize. Perhaps she was eliminated because of that answer.

Here’s another story.

A broadcast station in a central province sent a video clip to a competition.

In the clip, a reporter asks a fifth-grade student about her dream.

“I have a lot of dreams. I dream of becoming a good journalist, a well-known show host, and I also want to become Vietnam’s first female prime minister. But at first, I want to become a good student to achieve my dreams.”

Bravo! Can’t get better than that, one would have thought.

The judges apparently thought so too, and at first the video was selected for the top prize.

Then a member of the judging panel mentioned the part of the dream about becoming the first female prime minister... oh, it’s a sensitive topic, too political...

On second thoughts, the panel agreed with the sensitive observation of their colleague.

At least the student didn’t know her dream had failed her.

So let us pause and ponder. By laughing at the simple dream of being healthy, and deeming sensitive a child’s dream of becoming a female prime minister – are we teaching our youngsters how to dream... the right way?

By Nguyen The Thinh