The Castle of Dreams!

Early this morning, it was around 6.45, when I woke up to the sound that seemed very similar to the sound of someone shoveling the grass with a trowel. Although spring just arrived a couple days ago, in Michigan its still very cold for someone to be preparing the grounds for gardening or to be out this early on a Sunday morning. I got out of bed and curiously followed the sound soon to discover my 10 and 7 year old boys conveniently located on the sofa and absorbed in playing 'Minecraft' on the big TV screen in our family room downstairs.

Castle built in Minecraft

Minecraft, a creative video game about building structures using 3-D cubes, is something which has revolutionized their world since they were 5 and 7,  It took me a while, and by while I really mean a few years, to come on the same page with them in understanding the intricacies, the goals and various levels involved in the game. Minecraft, as I understand it, is a kind of sandbox where you can create anything from your imagination using the tools, material, gemstones and plethora of other things that you can acquire in your palette or toolbox. It basically has no guidelines what so ever, you have the imaginative freedom to create new worlds and make them whatever you want them to be.  The opportunities are endless as the blue sky. Pretty much explains why this generation is obsessed with a game of that nature. Basically kids these days have way surpassed the normal norms of following the step by step guidelines or a manual to build something. Technology has enabled and empowered them to create their own definitions of things, put their own perspectives and concepts in place and put their own stamps of approval and brand names on them. There is no sell required, as you cannot sell them anything anymore. They know what they want and how to make it. As much as I wanted them to sleep in bit more on their much deserved weekend morning, I silently appreciated the fact that the spark and fire inside them took the best of them. Sleep is over rated anyways.

As I watched them build the new architecture with bricks, cement and wood, I asked with my half open eyes, what are you guys up to? The answer was, "We are working together to build a Castle!", I asked, "For Who?" the reply came, "For all of us!". I silently smiled and admired the fact that they were not over powered by technology (as the common perception goes) but rather putting technology in place to shape their aspiration, to foster their dreams and to blossom their creativity.
I do want them to dream big, do big and achieve big in this world of endless possibilities and if Minecraft is one of the stepping stones of the pavement that leads to those dreams, I am glad they are building their future in a sandbox and not being aimlessly lazy in a comforter till 9 O clock. Watching them being so relentlessly busy with their own little endeavor set the tone for my day and compelled me to ask myself, so what am I up to? Am I creating something worthwhile today? Funny how it all connects - the Castle of Dreams, don't we all have one?