Dreams
By Stormy
@Little_Stormy (6883)
United States
July 19, 2010 10:06am CST
I think the saddest thing that one can come to realize, in their middle aged years... is that they have forgotten how to dream. I really never thought of it until this weekend. I was talking to my daughter, who has these amazing, very well detailed, dreams of the future.
Hey! I remember being like that! I'm not sure when it stopped for me, but I DO remember having dreams! Looking back now, I can't actually pinpoint when they stopped but I'm figuring that it was somewhere between giving birth to my three children and trying to find the meaning in meaningless tasks (laundry!)I think that's when dreaming for me completely changed!
My dream became trying to find the right laundry detergent that didn't make my asthmatic son sneeze, and my daughter's excema worse! And from there, dreams kinda dwindled away!
It's sad to be sitting in the middle of the age of 45 and realize that you no longer dream... Is this normal? I don't know! I've never had anyone tell me that they now lack the ability to dream. When I was younger, I was all about daydreaming! I could go from one daydream to another and one daydream would last a good day! Now, who has time?
Well, this weekend I decided to change all that! I made a dream list! Things that I'd like to accomplish before the end of life. This list is rather random, so bear with me.. I'm new at this dreaming stuff..... again! :)
1. I would like to be the first in my family to be published. I've never really wanted that dream before, since I'm what you would call a "free style writer" (a fancy way of saying that I break all the rules in writing because I write what I feel! and well...... it doesn't make for beautiful lines and flowing literature. But it does make me feel better! I don't think that "free stylers" actually get published, I think they are mostly read by their friends who understand that you have the attention span of a house fly and they see your heart in your words, no matter how messed up they are! :)
2. I would like to (just once) throw a pie in someone's face! Just once! I know that's immature, but I've never done it before! And I WANT to! It's now a dream of mine! Now!
3. I would like to be able to tell a mechanic (for once) what is wrong with my car without having to "do" the sound effects! Only to see him laugh and say "Do that again!" to which I cordially say "It makes this sound, when I turn the steering wheel BbbbaaaAAbbbb RRRuuuuuBbbahh" Of course, he laughs and gets three men from the garage to come listen to what my car is doing too via my sound effects! I dream of a day when I can leave the sound effects out and tell them that I think it's my engine's frontal tubular joint mass-sector going out! (yea..... I dunno what that is, but it sounds intelligent!)
4. I'd like to be the first woman (in my circle of friends) to get a Nobel Peace Prize!
I just have to figure out what I need to do to get that! Shouldn't take me long to figure something out.. right?
5. I would love to make the perfect cake! I'm sure you have accomplished this in your life.. but I haven't! Something ALWAYS goes wrong! The last cake I baked was for my daughter's high school "end of semester tests" and I was all geared up to make this wonderful cake! I had everything and a few extra's (chocolate chips and a filling!) It was to be the grandest cake in the world! In the middle of baking my masterpiece the electricity went out! (weather related problems) and my half risen cake...... STOPPED!
I assured my daughter that the sunken middle didn't matter because I could "fill it in" with frosting! no one would KNOW! And that's just what I did!
The cake looked a lot like something you might see in a horror flick! ya know, like,the blob that ate a whole city or something! In the middle of the "filled in" cake was about 5 inches of frosting. And it didn't help that when I got the cake out of the pans that one layer broke in half! No problem! that's what God made tooth picks for! right?!
I did remain optimistic enough to finish the cake!
My daughter took this cake to school and I made her PROMISE not to tell me what ANYONE said about it. Thank God for that one kid that will eat anything, no matter what it looks like (every school has one of these kids!) I was told that he ate the entire cake!
So there ya go...... My grown up dream list! There are more, but I figure you are pretty well tired of reading by now. (I might not be a good writer, but I'm courteous!)
What are your dreams now that you are all grown up?
Compared to your (younger days) dreams, do you see a big difference?
2 people like this
9 responses
@whiteheather39 (24403)
• United States
19 Jul 10
At the ripe old age of 71 I realize that I was lucky enough to have most of my dreams come true. 
I wanted to travel the world and I was able to see and live in many parts of the Western World. I wanted to settle in the USA which I have done. I wanted to be an Airline Hostess and I was for BEA. Get into Show Business which I did by association as my first husband had a very good show business career and I had a short spell as a singer in his band. All in all I am very happy with how my life has turned out. Now I just dream that I will be around long enough to see how the new bushes I planted in my yard will turn out and see if my great grand children will realize their dreams.....at the moment they are to be a cop, cowboy and fireman.... 
I wanted to travel the world and I was able to see and live in many parts of the Western World. I wanted to settle in the USA which I have done. I wanted to be an Airline Hostess and I was for BEA. Get into Show Business which I did by association as my first husband had a very good show business career and I had a short spell as a singer in his band. All in all I am very happy with how my life has turned out. Now I just dream that I will be around long enough to see how the new bushes I planted in my yard will turn out and see if my great grand children will realize their dreams.....at the moment they are to be a cop, cowboy and fireman.... 1 person likes this
@whiteheather39 (24403)
• United States
20 Jul 10
Thank you, thank you, thank you. I love your singing and you are VERY good. You have a lovely voice. I have bookmarked it so that I can listen to it often. 
@Little_Stormy (6883)
• United States
20 Jul 10
Awwww they sound so cute!
I can't begin to tell you how inspirational your post is! I love to hear that someone's dreams came true, even if mine most likely won't (seriously, at this point for me.. I'm only hoping for a happy ending).. I couldn't think of anyone that I am happier for than you! :)
I love singing too! here I am singing....er...messing up a pretty good song :)
http://www.singsnap.com/snap/r/be9b57ba0
I might not be great but I'M LOUD! lol!
(((((((hugs!!!!!!))))))
@pastigger (612)
• United States
19 Jul 10
I do find that after having my daugter I don't dream as much at all. I think part of it is becasue I don't sleep as soundly anymore. I used to sleep like a brick, the house falling down around me wouldn't wake me up. Now if my daughter sneezes in the night I am awake. When I do have dreams it is usually child related. I had diaper dreams durning her potty training. My life dreams have also changed. Like you said who has time. I would like to have a whole day to myself, having a hard time finding the time. It is sad when having dental work done is quiet time for me. I want to have time to take my daughter swimming 2 times a month. I want to get my office cleaned before I die or give up and light all the papers on fire in our fire pit instead of filing them. I really hate filing but I need to do it, it has been years. I would like to have a clean house without a lot of effort from me. I would love to be able to decorate a cake. Mine always look like a child has done it. I gave up making cakes from scratch years ago, it I do it, which is hardly ever, I use the mix. I have had cakes not rise because I forgot something, I have burned them. I would like to be able to make a really good brownie. I can mess them up with a mix it is a true talent. My big goal right now is I would like to be able to go to the bathroom without hearing MOM!!! I guess its good to have goals no mater how small.
@Little_Stormy (6883)
• United States
19 Jul 10
I have to say.... you are a pleasure to read! :)
You brought back memories of when my kids were small and when a trip to the bathroom (alone) was a luxury! Now I go and hear pounding on the door with screams "HEY MOM! WHERE IS MY IPOD?" I've never touched their iPods... how the heck would I KNOW????? But they don't ever go looking for it until I hit the shower! (a mystery in life I suppose!)
I hope that you get everything on your grown up dream list, and don't sweat about the brownies.. I make chocolate cake so that when it goes flat (and it WILL) I can call them brownies! :)
@pastigger (612)
• United States
19 Jul 10
Thank you.
Good idea for that choclate cake. Oh yeah I can't make fudge either don't know what I do but it won't set but I make a very good fudgie ice cream topping!
My husband does that to me, and if I do know where something is it has to be a pretty detail description of where somehting is otherwise he can't find it.
I am just glad that over the years I have learned to laugh at myself and not get too upset about it, most of the time :) Also to make my goals obtainable, like today no matter what I will take out the kitchen trash or I will make sure my shirt is not on backwards (did that the other day and didn't notice until 2pm) I guess these things just happen when you become a mother, can't remember what you need to know but know where you child favorite toy is. Its good to be a mom.
@blackbriar (9076)
• United States
19 Jul 10
Hey there Stormy... How ya been, girl? 
Love your dreams and, as usual, you sprinkled your witty sense of humor throughout.
My dreams as a kid (and I still have them) are to own a 5-10 acre farm with a HUGE garden, orchard, maybe take in a few horse boarders. I also wanted to become a veterinarian but, my grades weren't the best so that has been nixed.
Now..I want and WILL own some property in Maine, middle of nowhere, within the next few years and I am determined to live off-grid. Grow most of our own food, including cows/pigs/chickens..although I will pay someone to butcher and cut them up being I just don't have the heart do it myself.
Visited some friends in Maine a few months ago and just fell in love with the mountains there. Remember? Some time back, I told ya my dream was to live in the mountains? It's gonna happen...FINALLY!!!
Love your dreams and, as usual, you sprinkled your witty sense of humor throughout.
My dreams as a kid (and I still have them) are to own a 5-10 acre farm with a HUGE garden, orchard, maybe take in a few horse boarders. I also wanted to become a veterinarian but, my grades weren't the best so that has been nixed.
Now..I want and WILL own some property in Maine, middle of nowhere, within the next few years and I am determined to live off-grid. Grow most of our own food, including cows/pigs/chickens..although I will pay someone to butcher and cut them up being I just don't have the heart do it myself.
Visited some friends in Maine a few months ago and just fell in love with the mountains there. Remember? Some time back, I told ya my dream was to live in the mountains? It's gonna happen...FINALLY!!! 1 person likes this
@thebohemianheart (8827)
• United States
20 Jul 10
It is never too late to start dreaming again. I think when we are young we are very optimistic and full of confidence and hope. As we get older, life kind of gets in the way of all that. But, those who can't dream, die. Don't do that right now, please.
My dream has always been the same, to become a designer. I really didn't care what I designed, houses, furniture, clothes, jewelry...whatever, as long as I could use my creativity to make a living. I lost that somewhere between the end of high school and becoming a mom. AT 48, I left a 20 year career as a pharmacy tech and began to build my dream, again. I am now designing jewelry, bouquets, invitations, just about anything having to do with weddings, I will give a shot.
It's never too late to start to build your dreams!
@stilldirect (91)
• Philippines
20 Jul 10
Everybody has dreams in life no matter what your age. When I was a kid I dream of toys and barbie dolls, teenage life's dream of handsome boys and being a prom queen, in college I dream of a good career and family. Now that I am on my forty plus years, I dream for my kids future, that they may have good life ahead. I also dream to travel around the world with my family. Don't stop dreaming, its free!
@Little_Stormy (6883)
• United States
20 Jul 10
Perhaps you are right, all the dreams are still there, but they have shifted on to our kids! I can see that I do that as well! :)
@paula27661 (15811)
• Australia
20 Jul 10
These days I have no time for daydreams and the dreams I have while I am asleep are still there but I am finding that I have problems remembering them! I find this extremely annoying because sometimes I am left with a feeling about the dream being happy or sad etc but no recollection of what I dreamt about! I am not sure that it started when I had my daughter because I feel certain that up until a while ago I could remember my dreams very well. For me it started as I began to relive some of the abuse my mother dished out to me as I was growing up; I had blocked it out for years until I began to recall painful events. Consequently I had to take antidepressants and have therapy; both things have helped me a lot except now I am left with unknown dreams. My parents are returning from a four month holiday and I have no idea how to mask the anger I feel toward them especially my mother. I would like to remember my dreams...I hope you can accomplish what is on your list Stormy...
@Little_Stormy (6883)
• United States
20 Jul 10
Awwww Paula.... I wish there was a way to hop through the screen and give ya a big hug!
@Little_Stormy (6883)
• United States
20 Jul 10
Actually, the dreams that I am talking about are the ones done when you are wide awake :) Dreaming of the future... the things that you hope come true.. or hope to accomplish in your lifetime.
@twistzao (71)
• Portugal
20 Jul 10
Well, I just can say good luck. I have a lot of dreams, and most of them I know they are impossible to accomplish. So I just can say good luck for that, and I hope you accomplish all of your dreams. I'm still young, so I don't care if I will accomplish my dreams or not, I'm just going to live. And I think that it's more important to just live life than to do a dream list... Well, if you are so concerned your life is becoming non-dreaming, just start living life like you were younger. That's my advice, you can call me stupid o.O And I believe your cakes are already very good :)
