Everyone Says To Follow Your Dreams So I Went Back To Bed And Then Took A Ballet Class

The other day, I was lying on the sofa watching The Curious Case of Benjamin Button and lusting Brad Pitt, as one does. 

Do you remember that movie? It’s entertaining, but I’m going to split a few hairs and admit to being annoyed with it for the simple reason that it doesn’t follow its own rules: Benjamin is born an old man in a baby’s body; therefore, he should die as a baby in a man-sized body.

Anyway, I  got to the part near the end of the film when Benjamin/Brad writes a letter to his daughter that goes like this:

“For what it’s worth, it’s never too late or, in my case, too early to be whoever you want to be. There’s no time limit; stop whenever you want. You can change or stay the same; there are no rules to this thing. We can make the best or the worst of it. I hope you make the best of it. And I hope you see things that startle you. I hope you feel things you never felt before. I hope you meet people with a different point of view. I hope you live a life you’re proud of. If you find that you’re not, I hope you have the strength to start all over again.”

If those aren’t words to live by, I don’t know what is. 

So here’s a question for you: have you ever deliberately given up on a dream? Have you ever decided that it would be less maddening/healthier/easier/whatever to conclude that a particular dream is not worth pursuing because you’re too old/tired/poor and deliberately shelved it all together?

Or do you think it’s better to keep hope alive and continue chasing your dreams when possible, no matter how remote the outcome?

I don’t think I’ve ever given up completely on a dream…well…that’s not true. There have been a few dreams I’ve deliberately put on a shelf for later because they became less important in my life. I know I’ll never be a ballerina again because my knees said, “F*ck no are you kidding me?!” I’ve also accepted that I’ll never be able to play the piano because I lack the brain cells that allow one to read music. 

I suppose dreams have to change as our lives change; otherwise, I’d still hold out hope that Shaun Cassidy will eventually be my boyfriend.

But whatever. If you take anything from this blog post, let it be this: We are the ones who hold ourselves back the most, yet we also hold the power to change our lives. Oh, and don’t let your dreams die. Actively pursue them and adapt as necessary.

PS - I took a ballet class again, and yep it hurt.