To converse with the greats

One thing we all want to be is to be great. However, how can we achieve greatness? This answer comes in Vera Pavlova’s poem, To Converse With the Greats. This poem is very short, but it has a very important message to it.

Vera tells us that, in order to achieve greatness, we must “converse with the greats.” We must “try their blindfolds on” to experience what they go through, “ to correspond with books,” which, in order words, means relate their goals and experiences to yours.

Vera tells us that all people start somewhere. They were all just like all of us. However, once we “try their blindfolds on,” we see the difference between them and us: their determination. All the greats that we look up to all started somwhere, sometimes even places lower than we are today. Take for example Lebron James. We all look up to him, we all want to be like him one day. But did you know he had a rough childhood, probably even worse than your childhood.

Lebron James, as a child, grew under his father and mother’s care. However, his father had a criminal record, forcing his mother to care for him by herself. Lebron states, “ “I saw drugs, guns, killings; it was crazy,” Often having to move through many different location and houses, his family was always on the move. Even through all this harshness, Lebron persevered and continued working hard to achieve his goals.

Just like Lebron and all the great idols we look up to, they all started somewhere. And we too, can become just like them if we just worked hard for it and had a lot of determination to keep going, not stopping till you reached your goal.