Ahhh, youth. The frivolous dreams and imagination of childhood. When you’re young, you are so excited about your dreams and all the opportunities out there in the world. Nothing is impossible.
Fly to the moon and spread glitter all over it? You bet. Build a real Candyland? Absolutely. Save all the whales, elephants and unicorns? Of course! You didn’t feel limited by your abilities. The world was your oyster and anything was possible.
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As you got older, your dreams became more realistic. You imagined traveling the world, having a huge wedding atop a mountain, inventing a cure for a rare disease, owning your own business. There was no stopping you.
With stars in your eyes and great excitement, you shared your dream with everyone. Some people patted you on the head and nodded. Others told you that it would be impossible and not realistic. That you didn’t have what it takes to make it happen.
Doubt began to creep into your mind.
Then, real life smacked you hard in the face and those dreams of yours were set aside. Were they set aside temporarily or forever? Were they really impossible? Did you not have what it takes to make it happen? Or did you just give up on your dreams?
All Kinds of Dreams
As a kid, I had all kinds of dreams of what I wanted to be when I grew up.
A detective, thanks to the Pink Panther movies. A truck driver because of the TV show BJ and the Bear. Not to mention I had a crush on Greg Evigan, the lead role of that show, who was easy on the eyes…ladies??? And, I wanted to be a cruise director, too, like Julie McCoy, from the Love Boat.
Wow! I am starting to think I watched a lot of TV!
But one of my all time big dreams was Muddy Popcorn! No, that isn’t the name of some gross snack. “Muddy Popcorn” is the name of my ultimate rock band. I decided this in the 5th grade.
Back then, I was learning to play the guitar and I wanted to be a “rock star”. I thought, how cool it would be to perform on stage in my very own band. Well, the band was never formed, but I continued with guitar lessons.
At my very first recital I played my guitar and sang “Country Roads” by John Denver. I played well. My singing? Not so much!
According to my family and my dog, I can’t carry a tune. But that doesn’t stop me from singing at the top of my lungs any chance I get. And when I do, everyone scatters. Wait….. do I hear the dog howling?
A Love of Music
I have always had a love of music. How about you? It can set a mood. It can pick you up or bring you down. Make you feel calm or pump you up! It can add romance to a wedding or give you chills when you watch a suspenseful movie.
Growing up, I liked to watch musical variety shows – Sonny and Cher, Donny and Marie, Captain and Tennille, Soul Train. Do you remember those shows?
I’d invite my best friend over and we’d play records on my record player and dance! I have to admit whenever I’d blast the music and there was a curse word in the lyrics, I’d make sure to sing another word very loudly so my mother wouldn’t hear what was really being said. I’m sure she knew what I was up to. Mothers are smart that way!
My first album purchase was Sergeant Peppers Lonely Heart Club Band – not the Beatles album, but the Bee Gees and Peter Frampton movie soundtrack. The movie that apparently flopped in the theaters, but in my eyes was genius and inspired my love of music even more.
My dream to be a rock star continued as I grew.
Teen Years
In my teen years, I attended my first concert – Bryan Adams. And swore to myself and my friends that I would marry him. (that didn’t happen, by the way).
I saw AC/DC, Tears for Fears, Bruce Springsteen, Aerosmith, Kiss, Tom Petty, and more. At those shows, I fixated on the guitar player, picturing myself up there on stage.
At smaller venues, I’d stand near the speakers so I could feel the vibration of the drums in my being. I’m sure it was also the cause of my hearing loss today but, alas, when you’re young, you don’t think about those woes.
Sometimes, I’d get up on stage, and I even ended up in the midst of a mosh pit once. An area in the front of the stage where people push and shove and rough dancing take place. That was a bit scary.
My love of music brought me to the nightclubs to dance. I love to dance and would do so for hours. It makes me laugh now to think that I used to leave the house at 10:30 pm, just to get the night started. Now at the ripe old age of 50+, I’m snoring away in bed for an hour already at that time. Ahhh, youth. Ack, aging!!
Nowadays, as I continue to explore my dream of becoming a rock star, I regularly meet with my brother to jam on the guitar and drums, taking turns at each.
But what ever happened to my other dreams?
Dreams Really Do Come True
Well, I realized that dreams really do come true. And I can check some of mine off my list because…
I play a detective just about every day. Not on TV.
How?
Trying to find clues as to where I last left my glasses. Spying on the whereabouts of my children on the “Find My Phone” app when they’re out with friends. And resolving the mystery of who ate the last piece of apple pie. Check!
I’ve driven all types of vehicles carting my children back and forth from baseball practice, to dance lessons, to music lessons, to play dates.
I’ve sat in traffic for hours on I-95 with rigs and 18-wheelers surrounding me as we all try to get to the beach. I understand CB radio speak. That’s a 10-4, good buddy.
My dream of being a truck driver? Even though Greg Evigan wasn’t my co-pilot? Check!
In my 20’s, I worked in the cruise industry and hosted travel agents on cruises.
I sailed from Nice to Nice roundtrip on a yacht when the seas were so rough that the porthole in my cabin went underwater as the vessel tilted back and forth. I even got married on a cruise ship, the SS Norwegian Crown, with 50 people in attendance.
Cruise director? Close enough. Check!
How about you?
Living Your Dream
In the midst of your “realistic” life, do you think it’s possible that you’ve been living your dream all along?
That dream you had tucked away so long ago? That was supposedly impossible to reach?
That some part of your dream is actually alive and kicking, but not exactly the way you pictured it way back when. You just didn’t realize that dream of yours had inserted itself into your everyday, “realistic” life. Look hard and I’ll bet you can check some of your dreams off of your list.
For me, the thought of being a rock star is still a big dream of mine. So, I haven’t given up on my band idea. But, now that many years have passed and I am long in the tooth, my band name, Muddy Popcorn, will be changed to Senioritis. And at my shows, I will frivolously spread glitter all over the stage!
Tell me in the comments below what dream you’re living today.
Cheers!
Kathleen
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