Happy New Year 2016

            Happy New Year! I know, New Year’s Day was yesterday, 1 January 2016. However, the new year is full of possibilities. Every New Year, I remember an old “For Better or For Worse,” cartoon in which Elizabeth has just hung up a new calendar. As she stands there looking at it, she thinks, “I love looking at the new calendar. It’s full of unwritten history.” Or words to that effect. I agree with her.

            I look at New Year’s as a chance to find new dreams or make old ones come true. In past years I’ve taken motorcycle classes and passed the test necessary to get an endorsement on my license. Too bad, I’ve come to realize that driving a motorcycle in today’s traffic scares me. I don’t consider my time or money doing all that as wasted. I’d wanted to learn how to drive a motorcycle ever since I first rode one as a child. In the end, regardless of my fear of handling even a small bike in today’s traffic, I made a childhood dream come true.

            A few years ago while checking into places to stay for a vacation in another state, I found a place where you could do one time “blow your own” glass. I’d wanted to learn to blow glass since I first stumbled into a glass blowing shop as a teenager. I did the one and got hooked! I wanted to do it again! Unfortunately, I didn’t know if it was possible to do such things in my town. Well, one day my roommate came home with a paper containing an ad for a glass blowing shop that not only offered one time “blow your own” glass sessions, they also offered private lessons and six week classes! I was thrilled. I called the shop and asked several question before signing up for a six week class. Since then I’ve taken three six week classes, done a one time “blow your own” session, and had a private lesson. During the first six week class, I learned about a school here in my state where you can go and learn more about glass blowing. I’ve looked it up and it’s a pretty intense six week session, but it’s my dream to go there someday. I need to learn more before I’ll be ready, but it gives me a goal to work toward.

            This year, I’m also following another dream. For years I’ve dreamed of writing a book. For the last several months, I’ve been working on a few stories, a couple of which I think I’ve finished. I even submitted one, but was rejected. I don’t mind; that just makes me feel more like an author. After I was rejected, I learned I’d made a major mistake in my story, so I fixed it and plan to submit it elsewhere. In the meantime, I keep writing.

            So, now you know about some of my dreams and aspirations for this year. What about you? Do you have any dreams that you’d like to make come true? Don’t let practicality stand in your way, if you can help it. Making dreams come true isn’t always practical, but it can be fun.