ISHWORLD WEEKLY COLUMN/BLOG

September 19, 2026

601 Words

What is your dream for a better world?

By Ishmael-Lateef Ahmad

Columnist/Blogger-At-Large

I turned 76 this year. Soooo, in four years I will be 80!

Wow! Makes a guy really wonder where the time went and what did I do with it.

So, at this point in my life, I again reflect on who I am, what I’ve done – or haven’t done – and what I will do with the little time I have left.

Of course, I am not alone in this life’s moment. Many others are here now, many more will get there like us in years to come and so, so many have been here and are now gone.

Now that I am here, I know for certain that I – like so many others – are reflecting on what we have accomplished, and what life’s dreams will be left undone as we run out of time, youth and resources.

I for one would love to do something, say something, be something in a way that leaves my mark on the world, for the better. Certainly, I have dodged death so many times and wondered why am I still here and what is it that I must do before I leave planet earth. Even now I am not sure what my life’s mission is.

Still, I have some clues as to what I have to do with the time I have left. And, I think many souls at this time in their lives, have some clues as well. And I urge you all to act on whatever you think it is you must do before your time runs out.

Please, don’t see my wish as morbid. I certainly don’t see it that way. And here is an example of why.

At the end of the 20th Century and the beginning of the 21st Century I wanted to travel the world and visit every country, writing and photographing the lives of people in every nation, telling the stories of the world and its people at that time in our universe. I didn’t make that journey.

Certainly, it would have been a world before 9/11 and a world far different than today in the years after that horrendous event. If nothing other than to document a time in history that no longer exists, my journey would have stood for something. But, it didn’t happen and the world, like other times in history, has adapted.

Today, the Youtube channel is filled with travelers circling the world, teaching humanity so much about who we are. It makes me so happy to see the stories they tell!

Other deferred dreams I have had are many. Some, I will carry to my grave. Others, I will try to fulfill. We will see.

For now, I write the stories that come to me and which I feel must be told as part of my current journey to make this world, our world, a better place.

I urge everyone to chart a path in their lives where they can leave their mark. If not for all humanity, then for those they love and who will know them. And don’t wait until you get old! Growing old is not promised to any of us.

And if you want to share your stories, please do. Email me a glimpse into your dream for a better humanity and whenever possible, I will share with others your dreams for a better world.

(ISHWORLD: The International Search for Humanity is a complimentary column created and distributed to media by freelance journalist & blogger Ishmael-Lateef Ahmad. Based in St. Louis, Mo., he can be reached via ishworldcolumn@gmail.com or his website at https://payhip.com/ISHWORLDcolumns.)

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