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Aim high, dream big with 2 million words By
Maggon Osmond
Did you know that the English language has more than 2 million words -- more than any other language, by far? G. Donald Gale said, "What a strange language it is. The same word means different things -- car trunk, elephant trunk or tree trunk. Words spelled differently are pronounced the same, and words spelled the same are pronounced differently. He shot the bow and a made a bow. Her entrance was such as to entrance the audience. "Only in English can your nose run and your feet smell. When a house burns up it burns down. You first chop a tree down, and then you chop it up. Slim chance and fat chance are the same. But a wise man and a wise guy are opposites." No wonder we have trouble learning English. It's so flexible that it is sometimes confusing. But its flexibility gives it strength, beauty and value. An education makes it possible to enjoy the difficult challenge of the English language as well as all other challenges of life. An education, although difficult to obtain, can give you self-reliance. Also, the increase of knowledge may inspire higher goals. Self-reliance is something we all desire. Self-reliance gives you confidence in your own abilities. Confidence is an essential element in being a strong, influential person. The increase of knowledge, produced by an education, can inspire higher goals. The more knowledge you obtain the more you want and can achieve. Buckminster Fuller the designer of the geodesic dome (the strongest structure known to man) once said, "Make no small plans. Dream big! If your dreams come true you'll accomplish more than you thought possible. If you dreams do not come true you will accomplish more than you would have done." Increased knowledge truly does inspire higher goals and makes it possible to dream BIG! Although an increase of knowledge may inspire higher goals, the reverse to that statement is equally as fitting. Higher goals require an increase of knowledge. We all know Walt Disney, the famous film producer, and of his big dreams. Did you also know that Disney's first attempt at starting his own company, failed? Disney had attended art school in Chicago for three years. He thought that this much formal education would be sufficient in accomplishing his goals, but after he failed he was forced to find work at another producing company, to pay his debts. For five years Disney continued to learn and expand, never losing sight of his dreams. Finally he had his first big success with his beloved cartoon Mickey the Mouse. After Disney's death and at the completion of Disney World in Florida, someone at the grand opening said, "Isn't it too bad Walt Disney didn't live to see this!" Mike Vance, creative director of Walt Disney Studios, replied, "He did see it, that's why it's here."
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