Gathering dreams
After much preparation and advertising over the past year, the BIG Dream Gathering has come and gone in the span of two hours. Mitch Matthews and the BIG Dream Gathering came to speak at Waynesburg University’s Crosbie Lecture Series Feb. 12.
The gathering is meant to stir the minds of people to dream and aid each others’ dreams together, Melinda Walls, W. Robert Stover chair for entrepreneurship leadership, said
“It’s actually an interactive event where all of us, the entire campus community and the Waynesburg community, can think about their hopes, dreams, aspirations and passions, and spend time thinking about that and finding active ways to pursue those things,” Walls said. “These dreams may help you find connections or even just the will to move forward.”
Upon entering, each participant received a dream sheet to write their dreams upon. These sheets were taped to the walls all around the Rudy Marisa Fieldhouse for others to view and write encouragement, suggestions and information. Mitch Matthews, creator of the BIG Dream Gathering, said during his speech at the start of the event writing down dreams has created crazy connections and made dreams possible.
“Looking around, at the time the wall is full and to know that some people, had they not come to this event and written a dream down, they would probably never walk it out,” Matthews said. “But we have had so many people say ‘when I wrote it down, it seemed crazy, but I started to work on it and taking steps toward it, and I made it happen.’”
Over 100 people from southwestern Pennsylvania taped Dream Sheets to the walls. While attendees wrote and browsed, Dream Ambassadors aided in people’s dreams.
Junior international business major Chyanne Vanzant, helped as an ambassador to encourage others to communicate their ideas and goals.
“Expressing your dreams can be scary and overwhelming, but to see other people do it kind of pushes us out of our comfort zone,” Vanzant said. “So, I am really happy that [people] came here.”
Some attendees came as far as Washington County, one of which being Jonathan Brodak.
Brodak wrote down seven dreams to tape to the wall. He wrote everything that came to mind, which “surprised himself.” Now, he is invigorated to pursue his dreams, the biggest of which being to write a novel.
“Like for example, the dream about writing a story. [Matthews] told us that one example about it,” Brodak said. “I sort of gave up on it, to be honest. But after he said that, it really got me into it, and now I’m really wanting to start again.”
Matthews has seen the BIG Dream Gathering work wonders for dreamers who were willing to go for their aspirations. Before the dream becomes reality, Matthews said, the idea must be allowed and welcomed.
“The key is to give yourself permission to dream,” Matthews said. “For some, that’s dreaming again, maybe they had a dream that took some hits and got wiped out. Sometimes it’s being willing to dream for the first time. But it starts with giving yourself
permission.”