Dream On

          "What do you want to be when you grow up?" This question was repeated to me by no less than every adult who ever came in contact with me when I was younger. I would proudly tell them what my latest dream career was. These careers ranged from mommy to brain surgeon to astronaut. In middle school, I remember playing MASH, which was a game done on paper in which you would supposedly find out who you would be married to, what kind of house you would live in, what kind of job you would have, and probably a few other things. All the options seemed quite possible, even being married to Justin Timberlake and living in a mansion (I still think that might happen). Then in high school, everything seemed to change. Dreams were now being filtered through scantron tests and college counseling meetings. More and more, I saw the emphasis on "fitting" the world. There I was, a seventeen year old girl who still watched Disney Channel being forced to decide on the school I wanted to go to, the potential major I would select, and what job that would land me in the future. Suddenly I was being told that I probably didn't have the necessary skills to become that astronaut in a pink lab coat that seven-year-old- me once dreamed of. My dreams now seemed as far away as the stars that I was now told I would never be able to reach. I couldn't help but feel a little hopeless. What would I do now that dreaming was seen as childish? Should we all just trade our MASH games in for SAT prep books and call it a life?
          I think that we need to rebel a little. I think that while the parents and teachers are telling us to pick a career within reach that's a safe bet, we need to dream bigger to places far beyond our reach. After all, the great people throughout history did not do the dream that was within their reach. They thought of the craziest dream of the time, and went for it. Was there a chance that they could fail? Yes. Is there a chance that you might fail at something you try? Yes. But the thing is, there is also that chance that if you put in all your effort, you might succeed even beyond your wildest dreams. So, whether you are seven, seventeen, or seventy, dream on. And above all else, work your hardest to make those dreams a reality.