Keep Dreaming, Sweetheart.

I've had some outrageous dreams. I've wanted to be a train engineer. I've wanted to be a fashion designer. I've wanted to be a secret CIA agent. I've wanted to be a rockstar. I've wanted to be an astronaut. I've wanted to be a photographer. I've wanted to be a writer. I've wanted to be a news reporter. I've wanted to rule the word.

Funny, because all of these things are people or leadership oriented. I love people and I love being in charge. That’s just how it’s always been!

Before flying back to California for the summer, my mom and I took and afternoon and went to the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago. The first exhibit we walked through was a space one so we were off to a good start!

My mom and I wandered around the exhibit for about an hour and looked at many different pictures, flight simulators, model space shuttles, and model missiles. As I gazed at the row of shuttles, an older man that had been admiring the exhibit stopped next to me.

This talkative older gentleman informed me that he worked hard to get into NASA’s astronaut program but was disqualified for a few minor things near the end of the course. He told me that he had devoted his entire life to this dream and was so close to reaching it! But he didn’t. He never got to fly into outer space.

He asked what I was studying and my answer surprised him.

“Bible and Communications won’t get you into anything NASA’s doing,” was his response.

“I know. My dreams have changed.”

“Keep dreaming, sweetheart,” was the quiet comment that followed.

It was a bittersweet comment.

I’ll keep dreaming of being an astronaut, but I’ll keep dreaming new dreams, too.

Sometimes reality just sucks.

Not everyone will walk on the moon. Most people won’t. Only a very limited group of men and women will.

My dream of being an astronaut wasn’t exactly a reasonable one. However, I’m still working towards my dream of being a journalist. It’s a more reasonable dream and one I’m willing to fight for and work hard to achieve.