“The future belongs to those who see possibilities before they become obvious.” — John Scully

One of my favorite movies is Field of Dreams (c). For me, it touches on an important aspect necessary to achieve greatness: Vision.

20/20 Vision

An annual eye exam trip to the Optometrist follows the same routine: stand on a predetermined distance line, look at an eye chart and call out the last line of letters/numbers you can clearly see without the aid of glasses. If you are fortunate you will be able to read the 8th line without any hesitation, which means you have normal visual acuity measured at a distance of 20 feet. However, if you are not as fortunate, you will need corrective lenses. Several days, and sometimes a pricey bill, later you carefully place your purposefully chosen specs on your face and look around the room. A sense of wonder waves over you as you ponder “What else have I not seen clearly in the past?”

20/10 Vision

Less than 10% of people tested have “perfect” vision which means about a maximum of 10 people tested every year per Optometrist are able to see things at a measured distance of 20 feet that the majority of people can only see 10 feet away. The main character in Field of Dreams had 20/10 vision when he decided to mow a chunk of his corn fields down and build a baseball diamond in its place. No one around him could see what he saw no matter how hard he tried to convince them otherwise. No one believed in his vision. No one appreciated his efforts. No one understood his resolve. However, everyone did see his dedication, determination, and belief in the vision. And because of his consistency everyone eventually “saw” the manifestation of the vision too.

If he were an educator, his actions would have been considered the same as “seeing” down the street and around the corner. His vision was unparalleled in comparison to others. And despite the criticisms and ridicule he experienced he never allowed what others thought of him and his actions make him lose his focus.

As an educator if you have 20/10 vision, be prepared for the times where you will experience criticism and ridicule. I strongly encourage you to stand fast in your resolve and find a friend to travel the road with you. Just like the main character in Field of Dreams, consistent behavior will convince others to get their vision rechecked. If all goes well, they may improve from 20/20 to 20/10!