Another goal for this year is to gain the support of local schools, both primary and secondary, to encourage their students to cultivate creativity in the fields of science, engineering and art.

Joe Markovich related an interesting story to me this week. You may remember that Joe and his family built a car that competed in the 2011 race. His son, Chris, is a senior in high school. Chris’s goal is to go on to college next year and major in engineering; he would like to be accepted to a school that is recognized for its outstanding engineering program. These schools can take their pick of students with excellent grades who are applying each year.  Only the top students are invited for admission interviews, but the field is still large so the interviewers are looking for something special in the students that are finally accepted. Of course the interviewing professors are interested in Chris because of his work with robotics as a high school student but when he mentioned that he had competed in our race in Whiting last year the interviewer’s ears perked up. They were very curious about Chris’s vehicle, how it was constructed, what fuel it ran on, and how it performed. Chris and his father even showed them a You-Tube clip of the machine in action; this fairly bowled the interviewers over. Chris made an impression that will be remembered.

This story illustrates the importance of going above and beyond to be noticed and might spur local high school students and their teachers to field a team for our 2012 competition.

The broader point is that in order to solve the problems that our nation faces, technologically, socially and spiritually we must all go above and beyond our normal routine and “reach for the stars” so to speak, for the solutions.

It takes extra work and effort to turn our ideas and inventions into reality. Our Race for the Future is a call for this effort. If we are going to remain strong as a nation and become energy independent we must be bold and get up off our keasters, roll up our sleeves and get to work.

Helen Keller remembered talking to a friend who had just returned from a long walk in the woods When she asked her friend what she had observed, her friend replied, “Nothing in particular.”

“I wondered how it was possible”, Helen said, “to walk for an hour through the woods and see nothing of note. I who cannot see find hundreds of things; the delicate symmetry of a leaf, the smooth skin of a silver birch, the rough, shaggy bark of a pine. I who am blind can give one hint to those who see: use your eyes as if tomorrow you will have been stricken blind.

“Hear the music of voices, the song of a bird, and the mighty strains of an orchestra as if you would be stricken deaf tomorrow.

“Touch each object as if tomorrow your tactile sense would fail.

“Smell the perfume of flowers, taste with relish each morsel, as if tomorrow you could never taste or smell again.

“Make the most of every sense.

Glory in all the facets and pleasures and beauty which the world reveals to you. “

“My father says that almost the whole world is asleep. Everybody you know. Everybody you see. Everybody you talk to. He says that only a few people are awake and they live in a state of constant total amazement”

I felt, indeed, privileged to be invited to such an event which honored so many of the innovators of our region. These folks are the idea people and more importantly the action people of Northwest Indiana, the thinkers and doers. From politicians to doctors to inventors and business heads; all were present to support innovation and celebrate creativity and the passion for the work of innovation which is to leave the next generation of this world in a better place than where we found it.

All of those who have sacrificed time, money and effort to take up the challenge that we have laid down as our “RACE FOR THE FUTURE” must also be celebrated as innovators and doers. Sacrifice was involved, to be sure, what good might we all see of this effort? Time will tell; but for sure, we will leave the world better off for our efforts.

The car is going back to the basement

Here we are at the end of September in the back yard wrapped up and safe from the fall rain storms that we have had.

Actually, I sat and looked at this scene last Sunday and could not bring myself to begin the disassembly process. I have to remember where every nut and bolt goes so that I can put it back together in the spring.

I am very excited about the 2012 competition. We are revising the rules, inviting more folks with ideas to the table and hopefully inspiring greater creativity.

Keep working; never stop thinking and inventing!