In high school, I discovered two passions. Athletic training and Ag. I loved them both dearly and pursued a career in athletic training, thinking that Ag could always be done on the side. Do I have that Ag hobby? Nope. Hopefully Emma will want to be involved in 4-H and FFA when she gets older. Hmm. A dream deferred.
I always knew I wanted to go to college... and to be an Aggie. I've been to college, and I will forever be an Aggie. And I loved every minute and every experience from my time in Aggieland. And I love being an Aggie Former Student. That one dream entailed so many wonderful experiences, it should be enough for anyone for a lifetime. But not me.
While in college, I discovered that I truly loved teaching. I knew I wanted more than to be an Athletic Trainer. I wanted to teach. And I do. But there is more to this dream than just the act. I want to truly make a difference. I want to inspire young adults to enjoy learning and to realize what they can learn from literature, cultures, and the world around them. I want to be the kind of teacher that makes a lasting impact on the lives of her students. A dream in progress, I suppose...
I also always knew I wanted to be a devoted wife and mother. And I am. Now, in all honesty, the wife part has been slipping as of late, but only to devote more of myself to the mother part. There is NO greater joy in my life than my daughter and the little family Mike, Emmalyn and I are. Sometimes I feel as if my heart will burst from happiness, pride, and love. Another part of this dream is that I would love to be a stay-at-home-mom someday. It isn't really possible at this exact moment, but someday. A dream deferred.
But despite my happiness and successes, there are still other things I want to do. Things I want to experience. Deferred dreams that I can't let go of. Sort of a 'Bucket List' I guess you could say, but much more significant than that.
I want to travel more. I want to visit places I've only dreamed of. I want to see where things began and experience the cultures that have influenced the rest of the world. (This comes with a money factor, so yet one more dream deferred.)
I want to become a pastry chef. And I want to open a bakery. I want to bake delicious treats for people that will warm their hearts and soothe their spirits. I don't care if I never make a dime's profit... I just want to make people happy with baking. While this may be feasible, it is not currently happening, so yet another dream deferred.
I want to open a rescue kennel for pit bulls. I love my dogs and they are truly wonderful pets. And I believe the entire pit bull breed is highly misunderstood, and seriously mistreated. I want to rescue these amazing dogs and help them find homes where they will not be abused or mistreated and I want to help educate the public about these dogs, and other breeds that are experiencing the same issues. A dream deferred.
I want to leave this earth knowing that I have done something worthwhile. That I have impacted at least one person's life in a positive way, and that something I did actually mattered. Maybe Ag and baking and traveling the world don't really matter, but maybe they would help me grow into a person who could have a positive impact on the people around me. Am I pushing my luck? How many dreams is one person allowed to have?
