"I'm the asking-est Pigeon in town." (Mo Willems The Duckling Gets a Cookie)
I used to be a dreamer. All I did was dream and plan. Each little idea, a request not to The Universe or God, but to me, the one who loves lists and thrills and challenges. I wanted to have a way to talk to my dad when I was in high school, so I joined the basketball team. Sure on the first day, Coach Rita said, "Everyone line up for layups." I raised my hand. "What's a layup?" But I made it all the way to varsity (the very worst varsity player, but I loved my team and loved my court chats with my dad even more).
When I decided go to school in Hawaii, I was determined to canoe and surf like in the movies! So when my sister's college held a canoe race, I pretended to go to her school. I won a school T-shirt! Which helped me pretend to go to her school when I signed up for surf class. I was terrible and not sexy at all on that long board, but I did it!
I tackled every dream this way. Imagination, excitement, celebration. Some dreams turned out to be mismatches. Like my idea to be like Georgia O'Keeffe and live in the desert with my canvases and oils and hot artist boyfriend (that I'd acquire in the desert). So I can't stand dry heat. I growl at it. Had to let that one go. Skydiving went the same way. I do not like to fall. Duh. I like almost falling.
When did I stop dreaming? I used to be like the Pigeon in my son's favorite books. I was the asking-est girl in town. Big dreams, little dreams, stupid dangerous ones, silly sweet ones. Somewhere in the midst of survival mode I let go of the one thing that truly allows the soul to survive. Time for me to start asking again.
So here are a few things I've come up with:
Trips with my boys to U.S. National Parks
Walk the Skywalk Glass Bridge at the Grand Canyon.
Snowshoe and/or cross country ski.
Windsurf.
"Bestseller" printed on my books.
Zip line
Write for the rest of my life.
Think Out Loud is an anything you want it to be meme. No rules, just us cool people. Come on, play with us.
Update: I've decided to make this post my dream billboard, so when dreams come to me, I'm adding them here...
S'mores (since I've yet to try them) 7/21/13
Meeting as many of my blogosphere friends as I can! 7/21/13
Moving to a new town 7/21/13
Writer convention (and I just signed up for one) 7/30/13
Indoor Skydiving (there's no jumping out of an airplane) 8/4/13
"So here are a few things I've come up with: "Bestseller" printed on my books.
ReplyDeleteWrite for the rest of my life."
Great dreams, Robyn. I share those same dreams. :) And the other ones you listed are great, too. I wish they'll come true for you.
Yeah, dreams allows the soul to survive. I think life without dreaming, without hoping for something, would be boring.
Thanks for sharing!
Yes! Boring a good word for life without dreaming. I hope your dreams to come true! I used to walk through Borders years before the bookstore chain crumbled. I imagined my books on the shelves even before I imagined myself as a writer. Maybe our dreams are sharper than we are.
DeleteWow Robyn! I love reading your Think Out Louds. They are always so amazing and real. I need to remember to have a dream in my pocket to look forward to as well. But, I always forget!
ReplyDeleteI love that! "a dream in my pocket." I used crushes that way in college. I'd have a crush in each class because it made the days so much more fun!
DeleteMy mind won't quit coming up with favorite words for your TOL even though I already chose one I really like. Next week I'm gonna do some activity. Yeah.
I hope you have a great weekend, Think!
You have my permission to enter as many words as you like! I wish I could figure out how to get more people involved in Think Out Loud. That would make me happy! lol
DeleteRobyn, you're one of the coolest people I know. Dang, can't wait to really meet you! ;) I love the way you attacked your dreams...and honey, you just have to start attacking again. Good stuff will come to you. And you can visit me and we'll go snowshoeing anytime you want...as long as there's snow on the ground. :)
ReplyDeleteYay! I have no idea why I want to snowshoe, but my mind is convinced I have to do it. I think we would be a giggling pair. Since my dad lives in Colorado I should be making my way over there when he's recovered from our last visit...possibly next spring. I forgot to include s'mores on the dream list. I've never had them. Thank you for the nice words, Brandee!!
DeleteThat's so cool! I have so many things on my bucket list that I want to tackle and Zane and I try to mark at least one thing off a year. You've never had s'mores?!? OMG I love everything s'more, I even bought the s'more waffles and poptarts. We want to ride in a hot air balloon and Zane really enjoys zip lines. I hope you have fun tackling your dreams :D Jaclyn @ JC's Book Haven.
ReplyDeleteI never heard of s'more waffles or poptarts. What the heck? But at our grocery store is the section with the Hershey's candy bars, the graham crackers, and the dang marshmallows. I talk to the goodies out loud right there in the store. I don't think I could add hot air balloon ride to the list. Fire, heights, and a balloon? Hmm. I love that you and Zane tackle your list. You two are a great team!
DeleteThat was amazing. I love reading your posts, but when it comes to 'Think out Loud', I am super excited to see what you have for us.
ReplyDeleteDreams are a big part of our lives and as you said, there is no survival without dreams. Dreams are free, are ours and no one can take them away from us. Keep dreaming and I wish your dreams to come true.
P.S DIVIDED is about dreams but in a more complicated way. And then again in this book dreams are not given.
Remember the prologue? :)
http://between-my-lines.blogspot.fr/2013/06/divided.html
Of course I remember! I've thought about Divided since I read it. I just got back to writing last night. Okay, first I hit movie previews on youtube for way too long, then cleaned the apartment. Anything to put distance between me and the abyss. But I started! 1k words only, but it's a completely new story to me. I haven't been tossing this MC around for months. It might fizzle into nothing more than practice, but it's your writing posts that pushed me. Thanks so much, Athina!
DeleteYay!:) New project. That feels good, isn't it? I wish you the best. 1K words is a good start. Little by little and you will have a story.
DeleteI want to continue my writing too. I need to find some time but everything has been left behind and I try to catch up.
I am so happy that my posts helped to make you start a writing a new project. :D
I loved your post. I remember you going with Dorset to the kayak competition. I also remember you riding in the school van to go surfing too; stinker. As for my dreams--to own a farm working the soil (a very, very big veg garden) and also buying an old house to make my own. Those sound kinda lame, but you know me.
ReplyDeleteThose sound awesome (for you). I would like to look at a large garden and old house, sketch them possibly between writing sessions, but I will let you do the back breaking labor. That's the kind of sister I am!
DeleteI also love those pigeon children's books too.
ReplyDeleteThose are the most fun to act out!
Delete