The Dream Killer
“You were the only child I knew without a dream.”
“Why don’t you get a regular job?” Sandra criticized her friend Rosie as they enjoyed their weekly Saturday evening dinner. “Don’t you see your writings are going nowhere?”
The fire in Rosie’s eye flared up as her anger rose, then she fired out, “Say what!”
Cutting into her steak, Sandra went on, “I am talking about that boring book you are trying to get published because you want to be known as an author.”
“What do you think I do at Anderson and Skipp Law Firm five days per week?”
“Oh, that,” she remarked, “I forgot about it.”
Rosie eased back with a deep breath, then fired, “Because you have no dreams for yourself, don’t you dare, try to kill mine.” She flung the napkin on the table, put her amount for the meal they ordered beside her plate, then said, “I told you she was a ‘dream killer,’” then stormed out.
“What’s wrong with her?” Sandra said, shrugging her shoulders, going back to her meal.
“She is right, you know?” Allison, another friend, sitting opposite her, agreed, using her fork to shift through her salad.
Sandra stared at her as Allison continued to ignite the flames that she started. “What you just did to Rosie, you did to all of your friends when they share their dreams. Why do you think the others aren’t here?”
“Because they are busy wasting their time chasing their impossible dreams?” she said without a conscience.
“Well, at least they have one. Every time we meet for dinner, you slam a train into our dreams as we share it. We formed this group to motivate, support, and encourage each other not to give up on their visions.”
“But it’s going nowhere,” she stressed.
Swallowing her rage, Allison pulled her back into the past. “When we were children, you were the only one of us who didn’t talk about your dreams or what you want to be when you grow up. You were the only child I knew without a dream.”
“So what? I am still alive,” she said.
“A child without a dream will have no purpose in life.”
“It’s my life, and I will live it my way.”
Nodding in agreement, Allison went on, “As we matured, we started a journey to fulfill our dreams. You go with the flow.”
“And?” she asked, chewing her steak, then licking her lips as gravy ran down her cheeks.
“Our day job isn’t our dream job, but we have bills to pay. So, we are working on fulfilling our dreams on the side. Whenever we meet, we always talk about what we want from life.”
“I want to be a nurse, and that’s why I am going back to school,” Sandra shared.
“That’s your fourth career change in three years.”
“So what?”
“With dreams, certain life decisions are easy to make. All of your friends are following theirs. You do the very minimum, do your best in nothing, and make no sacrifices to achieve anything. You are unmotivated, unorganized, you plan nothing, you don’t save, and you follow what others do.”
“Well, I am learning from everyone,” she defends.
“Maybe, but you don’t apply that knowledge to anything that will improve your life. What do you want from your life? How do you see yourself in the next five years?” Allison asked, scooping up a forkful of her salad.
As reality hits, Allison read the fear in Sandra’s eyes. Then she adds some more, “Why nursing?”
Shrugging her shoulders, giving Allison a dirty look, she answered, “It pays well, and I don’t have to work five days per week.”
“So, it’s for the hours and the salary?” Allison asked, swallowing a mouthful of veggies from her salad.
“What’s wrong with that?” her anger demands.
“People with dreams want to do something they love. Something that makes them happy. Something they think can help and heal others,” she said, grabbing one of the glasses of lemon water on the table nearby.
“Isn’t that what nurses do?”
“But you aren’t doing it for that reason?” Allison said after gulping down a mouth full of lemon water.
Shock held her as she peered into Allison’s eyes. Fire met fire, and the flames flared up bigger.
“Of the seven of us, you are the only one without a dream. Dreams give us hope, something to look forward to. By having and working towards our goals, we provide our lives with meaning and purpose. Having dreams ignites our imagination, opening doors to mountains of innovative ideas that improve our lives. We pull more happiness into our lives with our dreams. Then our happiness becomes contagious. How could you not have a dream!” Allison slammed in frustration.
Silence grabbed Sandra as she struggled to find an answer.
Refusing to give in, she exclaimed, “does everyone have to have a dream?”
“Dreams are also goals we set for ourselves. It helps to give us a sense of direction. It contributes to our success, happiness, love, and all of the good things in our lives. It gives us something to look forward to. It’s the reason why many of us wake up in the morning. It’s a lifeline for some — something to live for, for others. Dreams represent something significant in our lives. How can you don’t have one!” Allison slammed again.
I know lots of humans without dreams. They live, work, eat, have sex, party, shop, sleep, and continue going through life that way until reality hits.
There are lots of Dream killers out there. They have no dream of their own, so they aim to destroy yours. Some of them aren’t aware they are doing it.
I use their negative vibes, words, and actions as fuel to recharge, regenerate and remain on course. So can you!
This piece is a true story. Don’t let the Dream Killers into your life. And don’t give up on your dreams!
Mariah Carey said it best in her song Hero.
Lord knows dreams are hard to follow But don’t let anyone take it away Hold on, there will be tomorrow In time, you will find a way
Thank you for reading this piece. I hope you enjoy it and will feast on more from some talented writers on this platform.
https://readmedium.com/lens-connection-ebb8c2f0588b
