Perchance to Dream

Last week, someone I admire very much, and whose advice I value, looked at me and said: What are you waiting for? This was in response to me talking about my dreams, my hopes, things I wanted to do with my life.

It was a tough question, and one I didn't have an adequate answer for.

I have several dreams. The first and biggest, is to be a writer, a published writer. And I mean when someone says what do you do?, I can honestly answer: I am a writer. That kind of writer. Published, the whole nine yards.

The other dreams are to have a side photography business, and to move to Paris and open a bookstore. But, you know, I can only do so much at once.

But, I can start trying now. That was her point. Today is the day. And although it may sound hokey, I think a lot of us do have these dreams, the little wishes tucked away that we think about, and put aside when real life gets in the way.

I don't know why her words were so powerful, or why it has changed things with me, but it has. For so long, my job has been my life, my work just took over somewhere down the line, and I identified myself with the job I had, the work I did. I have a great career, but a lot of other things got lost in the process. I am realizing now how important these dreams are to who we are, to rescuing ourselves, to helping us remember daily what we are all about.

So, as I told her-- I am on it. ;0)

I'll keep you posted.

Now, onto someone that I hold in high regard, for obvious reasons--making her dream a reality. She is an American named Aimee, from Kansas- who relocated to Paris to open a tea house. And she is doing well. But I love this entry of hers, the first on her blog:

I arrived at the café and took a moment to walk around and take in this moment. The café was quiet as it hadn’t officially opened for the day so the blinds were pulled shut and the lamps turned off. I went over and stood at the door and looked out at the pietons passing by and wondered who would be the first to come in?
Customers starting coming in and some asking if the place was no longer for sale. It was surreal to introduce myself to these customers whom I later found out were almost daily regulars. They checked me out. One peeking over her glasses the other with a half smile on her face, “Ah, c’est vous l’Americaine?!” That made me smile. They immediately started requesting that their favorite teas be reinstated as soon as possible. Much of the stock had been exhausted because the sale of the tea house took longer than anticipated. I reassured them. Gave them my word and they bid me goodbye but with the promise that they would be back to check very, very soon. I got butterflies in my stomach.
There was a moment when the tea house was empty and only radio Nova keeping me company. I stood behind the kitchen/bar looking out into the room and it hit me in a huge wave. Tears welled in my eyes. I quickly sat down on the stool and caught my breath. I peeked over the bar once more and looked around. And again, the wave hit me like a Kansas gale and I quickly ducked down in case someone came in. My dream. It’s real.