Credit: Paramount Pictures
There is a scene in the movie that takes place during Forrest’s college days. Forrest has taken a trip to Jenny’s college to pay her a visit. Jenny and her date drive into the parking lot in a classic Chevrolet Corvair. Forrest watches them park the car and start behaving romantically. Forrest senses trouble for Jenny when her date becomes aggressive with his romantic overtures. After a minor ruckus in the parking lot, Forrest offers Jenny the chocolate box. She scolds him for trying to protect her. Jenny recognizes Forrest’s naïveté and takes him indoors and out of the rain.
Once they get dried off in the dorm room, the now talkative Jenny asks, “Do you ever dream, Forrest, about who you’re going to be?”
The literal Forrest asks back, “Who I’m going to be? Aren’t I going to be me?”
Jenny continues, “You’ll always be you, just another kind of you. You know? I want to be famous. I want to be a singer like Joan Baez. I just want to be on an empty stage with my guitar, my voice. Just me. And I want to reach people on a personal level. I want to be able to say things, just one to one.”
Jenny’s dream captured the essence of what dreaming is all about – remaining who you are but transforming yourself into another kind of you.
That is what we call growth.
When we grow, we become open to new experiences.
With new experiences comes learning.
With learning comes maturity.
With maturity comes wisdom.
With wisdom comes the ability to live life to our dreams.
Do you ever dream about who you’re going to be?
Next Blog Title: How to Be Another Kind Of You
Next Blog Date: September 6, 2011