Yesterday, I saw a video spread across the internet like wildfire, but it wasn’t until late last night that I finally decided to click “play.” By now, I’m sure you’ve heard of Ted Williams, the homeless man with the golden radio voice. In the original video (taken by a newspaper reporter from the Columbus Dispatch), we see Williams on the side of the road, holding a sign that says he has a “God given gift of voice” and that he is an ex-radio announcer who has fallen on hard times. During the video, he’s given a chance to wow the viewers with his voice – and it’s amazing! You would never expect that voice to come out of that man. Here was a man who admitted to getting knocked off track by drugs and alcohol. And, while he had no reason whatsoever to believe, he still had hope that he would get a second chance to live out his dream. I posted the video to my Facebook page, with the comment that I couldn’t wait to hear how his story ended.
I decided last night that Ted Williams would be the subject of today’s blog post. This morning, I decided to see if there were any updates before I started writing. Sure enough, Williams had appeared on a local radio show this morning and received numerous job offers. The one he seems to be going with, though, is the offer to do voiceover work for the Cleveland Cavaliers and their parent company. The offer even comes with a free house. What an amazing story of perseverance!
I want to encourage you to never stop dreaming, and never stop chasing your dreams – not even when your circumstances may tell you that there is no hope. I will leave you with two things, a quote and a link:
“…it is important for you to dream. Because when you dream, you open the opportunity for it to become a reality.”
These are words spoken by Mrs. Margaret Mumba, co-founder of Hope Fellowship Ministries in Ndola, Zambia. She spoke these words to a group of children – many who have been orphaned by HIV/AIDS (and other diseases) and are living in poverty. Yet, she dared to suggest to these children that they should have a dream in life. She spoke these words because she had seen the dreams of Hope Ministries come true. A once barren field now houses a school, orphanage and clinic – and will soon house a multi-purpose building. It’s time for you to start believing in your dreams and not letting any person or circumstance discourage you from believing in the impossible.
Click here to go to the New York Post’s story about Williams – it includes the original video taken by the reporter.
And remember: dream big dreams, and never stop dreaming!