I close my eyes. For a moment, I’m transported to a day seemingly not so long ago. Sitting on the rooftop of my sorority house, contemplating the future. Avoiding the possible albeit unrealistic phone call informing one or all of my roommates that we didn’t pass an exam and would be staying for one year. Balancing the conflicting but both very real thoughts of both wanting our lives to move forward, and secretly wanting to stay in college as long as possible. I knew, in a very real way, life would never be as simple as it was in college. Sure days were filled with juggling hours and hours of studying, part-time job, obligatory sorority duties, and of course going out with friends! It seemed so stressful. It seemed so monumentally important, every single day. Daily, it was a balancing act of fun and work, a moment in time like no other I’ve experienced before or since.
Flash forward to a few weeks ago….I walk onto Savannah College of Art & Design’s (SCAD) campus. Where did all those years go? How is it possible that I was now taking my oldest son to his first college visit? How is it possible that I’m old enough to have a nearly college-age child? (That’s another blog)
The campus is beautiful. Historic and charming and warm and friendly. Everything one would expect from a southern college town. However, the point of going wasn’t so much to see the campus, although that was great, as it was to show my son what he’s capable of doing. To show him academia beyond his very small and somewhat sheltered high school existence.
We must dream something first, before it becomes our reality.
My son wants to go into animation. A forever fan of animated films, more than live action films, his dreams are big! And intimidating to him. I think they’re fantastic.
On the trip, we laid on the beach together, on overly priced cheap touristy towels we bought in Tybee Island, chatting in what seemed like a place separate from the rest of the world. I said the following words…hoping my son remembers but a small portion of them…
Do something amazing in your life. Don’t settle for the mundane and secure just because your dreams scare you. You’ve been given a gift- an amazing gift to be able to create art. Your path is different from others around you, because it’s YOUR path. Do what you love, and you will never work a day in your life. (He hated that last part…..)
I hope he remembers it. I hope one day, he recognizes how unique his abilities are. While he is also intelligent and articulate and learned, he can draw some pretty amazing drawings & that is pretty damn cool! He can create from his own imagination some beautiful and intricate and stunning pieces of art. How many people can say they can?
At the end of the experience, as we flew back on a freakishly early flight…with the truly spectacular in my eyes son by my side…..I was filled with emotion and thought on how we all really should live our life with this intent…….to dream big and work hard to follow our dreams no matter how old or how young we may be. No matter how scary or daunting them may be! What’s a life without dreams? Existence? How do we truly know our potential if we don’t push ourselves beyond our comfort zone, beyond the expected, beyond the vanilla existence so many of us often just accept as good enough?
I for one have been procrastinating on writing my book (which my lovely son reminded me of about a half a dozen times over the time we were in Savannah, “hey, how’s that book writing coming along mom?” said with a brilliant, charming smile…..), procrastinating on getting my sorta started online business off the ground (much to the chagrin of my very patient business coach), and procrastinating on getting myself into the physical state I feel confident in residing in for my time here on earth……after nearly a 3 month hiatus in writing something snapped in me today and I realized….if I am not actively pursuing my own dreams, what sort of example am I setting for my sons? For others?
I leave today’s blog…..with one last thought….one I will be thinking about this week to keep me on track…..in honor of my son who adores animation. The world is out there for us to experience….what dream are you going to put into action today?
Peace…….
peaceinthejourney 