Dream - That's the Thing to Do
Earlier today, someone made a comment that got me thinking. "Jay, at some point, even you were a kid, right?" As it turns out, yes, I was! Let me tell about when I was a kid (which was not THAT long ago).
Some of my favorite memories revolved around the time I spent with Mom and Dad at our house near Lake Anna, VA. We lived out in the countryside, so you might say that life was pretty quiet. Heck, it took us an hour to get to the nearest Walmart on Route 3 in Fredericksburg, VA. Our house was in the woods just off Route 652. Some of my dad's family lived on the adjacent properties, so we were never far from other humans.
Before I started school, Mom and I would often watch some of my favorite television shows together during the day. These were shows like Sesame Street, Arthur, Carmen Sandiego, and my favorite... Mister Rogers' Neighborhood. We'd spend hours watching those shows on "Channel 23" - our local PBS affiliate from Richmond. They provided some of my valued foundations in life.
I spent a lot of time with my cousins in the afternoons and weekends; they lived next door. When we were about 9 or 10, we started cruising around on riding lawnmowers. By the time we turned 13, we had graduated to go-karts. Just a few years later, we included an old truck or two in the mix. That old gravel driveway was so dusty in the summer time... phew!
Through the years, however, we kids always had a vivid imagination. At one point, we assembled a jungle gym and play area as our own "theme park." We took average things and made them into things like water rides and roller coasters. No one could tell us that they were anything but theme park rides. We didn't have a care in the world, and we felt that we could do anything that we imagined. We were kids, and all that we had was the moment in front of us. Most importantly, we kids loved to dream. We thought of all sorts of crazy ideas, and we made them happen in our own special way.
I could tell you so many stories from my childhood, but I'll stop here to say this.
When I turned 18, I left my family, my home, and my childhood life. I set out on my own to build a life in Lynchburg, VA. I set aside those childhood fantasies and grew up.
It took me nearly "10" years to realize that dreams are a must-have in life. And you know what, I realized that my dream had always been to share the gift of music with others... not simply as a hobby but as a career. On this day, ladies and gentlemen, I am living that dream!
Perhaps we should take a lesson from our former childhood selves. For some reason when we grow up, we stop dreaming. We let our imagination fade away. We put all of those childhood fantasies aside, and we settle for second best.
Think on these questions for a moment.
What are those things that you always wanted to do growing up? What's stopping you from doing those things now?
Dear friends, never stop dreaming. Take those steps to make your dreams become reality.
Some of my favorite memories revolved around the time I spent with Mom and Dad at our house near Lake Anna, VA. We lived out in the countryside, so you might say that life was pretty quiet. Heck, it took us an hour to get to the nearest Walmart on Route 3 in Fredericksburg, VA. Our house was in the woods just off Route 652. Some of my dad's family lived on the adjacent properties, so we were never far from other humans.
Before I started school, Mom and I would often watch some of my favorite television shows together during the day. These were shows like Sesame Street, Arthur, Carmen Sandiego, and my favorite... Mister Rogers' Neighborhood. We'd spend hours watching those shows on "Channel 23" - our local PBS affiliate from Richmond. They provided some of my valued foundations in life.
I spent a lot of time with my cousins in the afternoons and weekends; they lived next door. When we were about 9 or 10, we started cruising around on riding lawnmowers. By the time we turned 13, we had graduated to go-karts. Just a few years later, we included an old truck or two in the mix. That old gravel driveway was so dusty in the summer time... phew!
Through the years, however, we kids always had a vivid imagination. At one point, we assembled a jungle gym and play area as our own "theme park." We took average things and made them into things like water rides and roller coasters. No one could tell us that they were anything but theme park rides. We didn't have a care in the world, and we felt that we could do anything that we imagined. We were kids, and all that we had was the moment in front of us. Most importantly, we kids loved to dream. We thought of all sorts of crazy ideas, and we made them happen in our own special way.
I could tell you so many stories from my childhood, but I'll stop here to say this.
When I turned 18, I left my family, my home, and my childhood life. I set out on my own to build a life in Lynchburg, VA. I set aside those childhood fantasies and grew up.
It took me nearly "10" years to realize that dreams are a must-have in life. And you know what, I realized that my dream had always been to share the gift of music with others... not simply as a hobby but as a career. On this day, ladies and gentlemen, I am living that dream!
Perhaps we should take a lesson from our former childhood selves. For some reason when we grow up, we stop dreaming. We let our imagination fade away. We put all of those childhood fantasies aside, and we settle for second best.
Think on these questions for a moment.
What are those things that you always wanted to do growing up? What's stopping you from doing those things now?
Dear friends, never stop dreaming. Take those steps to make your dreams become reality.
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