It’s so amazing to me how the life you dream of as a child and the life you live as an adult can be so very different and yet so very close to that original dream. As a kid, I never dreamed about my wedding or who I would marry or how many kids I would have. My dreams mainly consisted of working for a big company (maybe a newspaper or something along those lines), living downtown in a fabulous apartment in a large metropolitan city. And I was always single in my fantasy. Sometimes I might have a boyfriend, but I was no white picket fence with 2.5 kids dreamer, that’s for damn sure. Sometimes, when I tired of my city dreams, I would still have a similar type job, but live in the suburbs with a big dog and I would drive a jeep. Sometimes my dream included me being a single mom to a little boy. Sometime it was my biological child and sometimes it was a little boy I had adopted. There was never a serious significant other in any of those dreams.
So how did life turn out? Well, I work for a large organization and I have my own office with a very large window. I have a fairly important job, but I don’t work for a newspaper or in anything journalism related. For quite awhile I lived downtown in my small metropolitan city in several different unique apartments and was single and loved every minute of it.
And even now I’m even living my suburban life dream. Except I don’t own a jeep. And the boy in my dreams? Turns out he came as a package deal. This package included a little boy who came with an incredibly hot guy who happens to be everything I didn’t know I was looking for. I got married to an amazing man. We complement each other so well, sometimes it’s a little freaky. We even have a dog, though he’s a little stinker and not a big lab or golden retriever. And I have a cat who wasn’t a part of my original dreams or plans, but she’s an integral part of the picture.
Somewhere between college and now, I started living my dream. It was not a self conscious decision to do so. It was more like me trying to find my way and my place. Sometimes I lost sight of my dream and found myself in nightmarish situations. Sometimes I wish I hadn’t dreamed so modestly and sometimes I wish I had been more specific. But overall, I couldn’t be happier. I honestly believe that some parts of my life are better off for not having a specific dream about what I wanted from life or what I expected. The best part, though?
I never stopped dreaming.
What about you?
Great post.
My childhood dreams of my adult life were similar. Career driven, no suburbs, loft like living, being an artist. I have always wanted a significant other, but never dreamed of the big wedding, I always thought I would elope. If you told me knitting would be my life, I would have thought you were crazy. I would not change a thing now.
Hey, finally a picture I don’t look fat in
Most excellent post! Hooray for being married to your best friend. It’s the best ain’t it?!?!
Sweet dreams!