Friday, March 28, 2008

Ramblings on Dreams and Reality

I just want to express my deep admiration for those of you who are doing what it takes to fulfill a dream. It takes courage. To dream, never mind the chasing. What do you have if you don't have a dream, they say.

I don't know if I have a dream... but I have a lot. That's a whole 'nother story. Maybe a dream is something that is born inside you. I am more of a realist. I dreamed as a kid, too much probably. When the real world reared up and hit me (starting in 7th grade), I determined that I no longer wanted to be ignorant of reality, which at the timed seemed mostly ugly. Keeping up with reality... paying attention, surviving, has taking a lot of energy over the years. Maybe if I'd let myself be a little more dreamy (if that's even possible) I would have a dream.

Maybe I just like security too much. Ya, I think that's the one. Now I feel pretty secure, and I'm happy about that. I have a steady job and no debt. So does my hubby. Knocking knocking on wood. We look at houses. We talk about having kids some day. We talk about staying healthy by exercising and eating right. But following dreams, that conversation is harder.

First of all, to dream, you have to be like a sniper, shooting down all the reasons-why-not before they destroy the dream altogether. It also helps to have an attention span longer than a gnat's because dreaming takes TIME. Then you have to be willing to take risks. I don't consider myself a risk taker (I did get married though). Then you have to work like heck and not worry about regrets, something I constantly work on!

That is my tutorial on how to dream. Do not take this post to mean I am going to give birth to a grand dream. But... I hope I don't kill it if one pops up for some reason.

6 comments:

paula said...

you are such a writer! maybe one day you will write for a living..

your observations are really good, and well-stated (funny, too).

keep writing!

paula said...

oh, and i think that your dream has always been about relationships, people, social interactions and colorful generosity (including food). the job is important only as a means to that, perhaps?

Beth said...

yes, i think you're right.

Erlandson Family said...

hmm.. you're talking to a realist who married a dreamer... sad to say i feel like the "sniper" most the time.. he keeps me from being too "stuck-in-a-rut" and i keep him from floating away..

Erlandson Family said...

realized ( a little late ) that i've used the "sniper" analogy wrong.. when i used the word i meant that i shoot down the dreams with all my "reasons why it won't work"... and it is 'sad to say'..

Beth said...

understood. it's good to have balance like that in a marriage. says the marriage expert.