Dreams

"Two roads diverged in a yellow wood.."

-Robert Frost

So, I thought I'd follow up yesterday's post with how I got to be here. Certainly, it has been a long and winding road, but the journey is not over yet.

I once was an avid reader and aspiring writer, filled with fancies of seeing my work published in the likes of Southern Living or maybe even Vogue -dare I dream it? Unfortunately, I did; and like most dreams, it never came to fruition.

I thought I'd done all that was necessary to cement my place amongst the most beloved writers in history; one day wikipedia would report that I was the youngest novelist to publish a best seller!

I majored in English, wrote a few articles for the Crimson White, and even interned for and helped write the Natural History Museum's quarterly news bulletin. Surely this would be enough to land me a job at Southern Progress with one of there many magazines. If not, then at least having been a nanny for one of its chief editors would be.

Alas, it was not!And this was not as shocking as I might have expected, more of a major reality check...Cinderella was wrong, dreams really don't come true! Somebody might wanna send her a memo.

After an internship with The Birmingham Museum of Art, I decided teaching offered the best career solution at the time. After all, $10 an hour and no benefits wasn't getting me very far now that I was a grown up and responsible for my rent, car payments, insurance, etc.

If I couldn't be a writer, maybe I could teach others how to be...or how not to be.

Anyway, now here I am.

I have very little time to read (unless it's part of the eighth grade course of study or one of Jackson's Elmo or Dr. Seuss books), much less do I find time to write. What's worse, I have become complacent.


I have submitted to the notion that dreams are for suckers, and drawing a pay check is the bottom line, even if it means sacrificing happiness.

I took the road that was well worn, the easy and safe route. 10 years later, I'm looking for a cut thru to the road less traveled by.

So, enough with all the pessimism; even poor old Eeyore would tell me to quit complaining!

I'm lucky I have a job to complain about anyway! Besides, if I want to chase my dreams, I better lace up my tennis shoes. I mean, my dreams didn't give up on me; I was the one who bailed!

It's time to stop sitting back and letting fate just happen; it's time to go out and grab her by the horns and take ownership of my destiny!

As far as teaching goes, I might not reach them all, but as long as I reach just one, then I have accomplished something.

And as for those pipe dreams, I think I'll start referring to them as goals; "goals" sounds less fanciful and more attainable! Time to start seeing the glass as half full, right?

Hey, maybe I'll even give Cinderella a call and see if she has any advice!

In the mean time, I'll be working on that cut thru!