Yes, my dreams left strewn about in yesterday!

The Dream-Chaser

Yes, when we were children we all had them! Dreams ambitions, quests and goals, they were what propelled us into the day next imbued in excitement, expectation and passion.

I have noticed over the years finding few exceptions, that many of these dreams dripping in noble aspiration and desire merely melt around us in time, often as we make that dramatic sweeping transition into adulthood, yes, we put on our new suit of maturity embedded in reasonable prudent and common sense, while we allow the dreams of our childhood to just die upon the vine.

Often we are instructed and admonished to do so by those we deem bright, and respect entirely, our teachers family and the such, yet I for one stand fully persuaded that often the dreams, passions and goals left behind in our youth, deemed as childish only, perhaps were never meant to be left behind at all!

Why? Because passion rides saddled upon the dreams of our heart yet unearthed, yes, passion and dreams walk about hand in hand, therefore often when we dismiss, excuse, and turn our back on our dreams, we as well leave passion behind only to be viewed in the rear view mirror of our heart from that day forward.

My entire life I have heard many state that they aspired to this, or desired to do that! But... but what I ask? Why indeed do we turn our back on our most passionate drive of heart, at the first site of a dream-stealer who advises us against?

Yes, their remain two differing types of advice givers I dare say, the dream-stealers, those who make us feel foolish for our dreams and ambitions, as well as the dream promoters, yes, my kind of folk, that simply always adjure one at all cost, to merely follow their heart's passion and dreams yet undone.

Surely it goes without saying that my mentors indeed consist only of the category of the later, yes the dream promoters, for surely the dream-stealers have already impacted my life when quite young.

There remain many who suggest and advocate centering our lives and career pursuits about what remains stable, concrete, and financially prudent, but I say this day, that following and chasing the gold coin shall never usher in even the smallest modicum of true satisfaction when that last curtain drops.

I was made to feel a tad foolish for my dreams of youth, having those closest to me deeming them foolish, childlike and lacking true structure and base, so as many, I just tucked these pursuits of passion away in a nice tidy little box, and vaulted them within the deepest recesses of my heart for most of my entire lifetime.

I accomplished and attained a certain modest status of sorts I imagine you could say, insofar as my ability to capture and seize the gold coin of hope and happiness, yet when approaching my mid forties, a gray cloud indeed began to cast itself in sad darkness over the very essence of my soul.

I knew instantly why the dry stagnate air of discontentment had suddenly seized me in such dramatic fashion and form, oh yes, I knew why, as I suspected as well all along, that their might be a price indeed to pay for leaving my youthful dreams and passions behind.
What I didn't know in complete revelation however, was that such a misstep in judgment and course in life could leave one so isolated, sad, and emptied of all color and passion.

I felt surely at forty-seven years old however that change was to late to find me now, and sadly passion I felt had dismissed itself from my world entirely, or had it? I began to consider the two dreams I once had as a youth shining in passion, brilliance and glimmering hope, yes, I had wanted to sing professionally, and had trained seriously for years as well, and yet, it was not likely that I should experience the grand and sensational comeback that Tony Bennett experienced at sixty-eight years of age or so due to MTV! No, I was bright enough to know, few want to see an aged singer reveal his heart in song.

There was however one other dream always close to my heart, yes, to write! Alas, what a price there would be to pay upon merely making such a disclosure I thought. I was right of course, few believed, most laughed, and nearly all felt me unstable in making such a drastic career change. I nevertheless could no longer turn my back on the passion of my heart! yes indeed there was a price to pay, actually I lost everything! And yet, I found something quite important once again as well, yes, passion!

Passion that once stirred my heart as a youngster began to flow warm in my veins once more, my mind became swept and stirred afresh and anew, a completeness of sorts overtook my entire being I dare say, for yes, I finally was walking in the dream of my youth.

Some might say, yes Rodney, but how successful are you at your new venture? I say this in response, that success has little to do with the mark we make upon mankind, but rather the noble desire and passion we exercised in our attempt! To my way of thinking, it is not if we finish the race, but rather that we entered at all! Our success as people is not contingent upon the acclaim we receive, nor if we finished the race as first second or third place, but rather, what marks us in excellence, is the measure and color of passion and sincerity we exercised in our attempt!

Our acclaim when all is said and done, shall not be determined by how successful we become according to the perception of others, but rather our reward remains this, that we ran the race according to the dictates and passion of our hearts.

So many, I state this day in such sadness, have traipsed through life stating, yes, I wanted always to do this! But you know how it is, it just was not a realistic dream nor reasonable ambition, but I declare this rather this day, that there remains no dream more noble to pursue, than the one that once lingered upon the breastplate of our heart in youth.
May you rediscover yours today...
Peace,
Rodney Evan Bohen