Rambling on about Childhood Wonder and the Power to Change the World…
When I was a child, my mind was a playground of impossible ideas and extravagant wishes. Like many kids growing up in the 60’s with the glow of the television as a backdrop, I dreamed of having supreme power, like a genie who could grant any wish, with just a snap of my fingers or a nod of my head. It was a fantasy that made anything seem possible… As I grew older, this playful yearning for ultimate control evolved from selfish delights to deeper thoughts about what I would change in the world if I truly could.
Those daydreams were shaped by the world of television, where characters like Jeannie from I Dream of Jeannie and Samantha from Bewitched wielded power with a twinkle in their eyes. For a young mind, these characters seemed to represent hope, possibility, and the sheer wonder of bending reality. They didn’t just offer escape; they sparked the question: what if we really could change the world with a wish? What would we choose to undo, to uninvent?
If given the chance to uninvent anything, my first thoughts would have been mischievous, like making vegetables disappear, but I really like them, or ensuring every day was Saturday, that would be BOSS. But if I let my mind wander beyond the childhood wish list, bigger questions emerge. The world is full of inventions that have shaped our lives for better or for worse. Some, like the wheel or the printing press, have propelled us forward. Others have cast long shadows over humanity. What would happen if I could uninvent something truly monumental?
In the sweeping time of history, few inventions have carried as heavy a burden as nuclear weapons. The power to destroy entire cities with a single device is more genie’s curse than wish. Technology, too, is a double-edged sword. The phone that connects us across continents can just as easily isolate us in our own bubbles. Video games, once a simple pastime, now shape how we interact, learn, and even perceive reality. All these inventions have changed society in profound ways, some lifting us higher, some revealing our deepest flaws.
Nuclear weapons brought a new kind of fear into the world—the threat of instant, unimaginable destruction. Technology promised boundless information and connection, but sometimes delivers distraction, disconnection, and misinformation. Games have evolved from simple joy to complex worlds, giving us escape, but also pulling some away from the real joys and trials of everyday life.
Yet, if I could uninvent anything, it wouldn’t be a gadget or a weapon. It would be ignorance. Despite living in an age of information, education, and opportunity, ignorance persists. Not just the absence of knowledge, but the willful turning away from truth, from empathy, from history’s lessons. Imagine a world where ignorance never existed—where every child grew up not just with access to facts, but with the curiosity and courage to question, to learn, to grow.
We’ve built schools and libraries, created online courses, and opened doors to knowledge that would have seemed like magic to earlier generations. Still, we see time and again how easily society falls into the same traps… prejudice, fear, denial. Technology gives us every answer we could ever need or seek, but it cannot force us to listen, or to understand.
Looking back, I see that the inventions which harm us most are not always machines or weapons, they are the ideas and attitudes we refuse to let go. History is full of stories waiting to teach us, but we turn away. Truth is within reach, but we avoid it when it’s uncomfortable. Growth asks for humility and openness, yet we cling to certainty.
If I had the power of a genie, I wouldn’t just undo the damage of dangerous inventions. I would uninvent ignorance itself. I would give every person the gift of open-mindedness, the willingness to learn from others, and the bravery to change their minds when faced with new truths.
As I reflect, I realize that the greatest power isn’t in snapping fingers or reciting magic words. It’s in imagining a better world and then working toward it. I know there are those of us who feel this now deeper than before, and it’s hard. VERY. HARD. Childhood imagination gave me the courage to dream, and adulthood has given me the wisdom to see what truly needs changing. We cannot uninvent the past, but we can choose to learn from it, to grow, and to use our imagination for good. In the end, maybe true magic is in our willingness to seek truth, to embrace growth, and to never stop imagining the world not just as it is, but as it could be. I believe we are on the edge of an awakening, or so I hope and pray…. That we will stifle ignorance and truth will rise again. I PRAY, I pray and hope it is not too late…
Dirt Road Therapy 
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