A Dream is a Wish your Heart Makes

It is 3:00 in the morning and I'm trying to think of extremely intelligent and witty things to say to the hundreds of people who have been reading my blog. It tickles me positively pink that you're all out there, curious tourists visiting the ruins of my mind, wearing socks with your sandals and ridiculous hats made of straw that you will never wear again after the trip is over. It will however, sit in the back of your closet collecting dust next to fur coat you inherited from your great aunt Eunice but can't actually wear because the world will call you a murderer even though you don't own a club and have never been within bludgeoning distance of a baby seal. But the truth is, it's way to early in the morning to be clever so I'm just going to stop trying so hard and come out with it- I really don't think we should have to grow up.

Little kids dream. They dream all the time without boundaries. They may not be able to read, or write, or color between the lines, but by Golly they are going to grow up and become an Astronaut if it kills them. And the great thing is, they don't stop dreaming. They don't stop dreaming until they graduate from college and suddenly, even though they can read, and write, and even color between the lines, they're not smart enough to become an Astronaut. Not even with an engineering degree from the best school in the world....

Why? Why do we do this to ourselves? Why do we throw away our dreams when we get older or eventually refuse to dream at all? Why do we let ourselves slip into the mundane rat race of life after working so hard to make the little kid inside of us proud?

I've heard people say that they let their dreams die because they got new dreams. Dreams of picket fences and baby carriages, and as long as they're happy, I don't see the problem. After all, I've known people that all they've ever wanted to do was become a parent, but what about everyone else who fell into a cold hard reality by default. Those who were told, or imagined, that their dreams were just too big, that they should set the bar a little lower because otherwise, they'll just be disappointed? I don't see many of those people with smiles on their faces and songs in their hearts.

So here it is, the Peter Pan cure to hopelessness, refuse to grow up. Dream, imagine, create, develop, plan, scheme, plot-just don't settle for safe. I know it's a lot easier said than done, but we really do live this life once. Why not do it up right? Why not shoot for the stars and not stop until you're out of the Milky Way? Personally, I see no reason not to want it all and then go back for more, especially because I'd rather die knowing that I lived the dream, than die dreaming of how I could have lived.