Tell them about the dream

I was recently at a conference where we discussed MLK's 'Dream' speech.  You know he had a different speech ready and one of his supporters (I believe) told him not to use it and to just 'tell them about the dream!'

For some reason that touched me.  In a deep emotional place.  I wasn't sure I liked it, but it made me start thinking. 

Everyone has a dream, but no one asks about them.  I think instead of saying 'How are you today?', we should start asking people 'What's your dream?'.  I think the answers would surprise us.  I love to ask people what they want to do, but after they answer, I ask them what they are doing to get there and usually they're stuck and don't know  how to answer.



I'm 45 years old and really wasn't sure what, even now, my dream is.  I had to sit down and figure it out.  Once upon a time it was to be an accountant (I know, that was crazy talk), then it was to become a history/english teacher, then I thought I'd just stick with secretarial - a nice safe job to get me by.  Then I worked my way up a couple of levels - not that I really TRIED, it just always happens to me.  Then I thought it was to continue on in my current job and move up the ladder until I got to be a Dean and then retire.  Yes, I do change some lives and that's a good thing.  I have previous students who call and tell me how I changed their lives or how they want to do something nice for them because I helped them when they needed it.  Those are warm fuzzy feelings.  But is that the end of it?

So then I talked to my sister.  She can always get to the bottom of what I want, even when I don't know.  She's really good that way! 

I've always wanted to do something with books, but I ignored it in order to do the 'right' thing - make a decent living and have a family.  Looking back, I don't think it was right or wrong, but simply a choice made out of fear.  (not the family part!!)  So I started blogging book reviews.  I love it and often let publicists and authors know of misspellings and weird sentences in their books.  I really want to be an editor.  Yes, it's a late decision, but better late than never, right?

So I've asked around as to what kind of degree I need.  Turns out there isn't a specific one.  So now I'm working on getting publishers to notice me.  It's good to be working on a dream.  Definitely a warm fuzzy.


So tell me, what's your dream and what are you doing to get there?