V In The City

I love when I log onto Facebook and some of my friends post inspiring quotes by famous people, philosophers or everyday heroes.Recently, I read one, a quote from Walt Disney that says, “All our dreams can come true if we have the courage to pursue them.”

My wheels start spinning when I read such inspiring words. Flashbacks of my childhood begin to spark up in my mind. There I am, about 7 years old, rollerskating in my garage with Michael Jackson blaring on my boom box. As I’m spinning, jumping, twirling under the stringed light bulb, younger me is dreaming about the day I’ll be in Stars on Ice after a hugely successful Olympic career.

You see, rollerskating was a much cheaper sport. Mom and Dad didn’t have to fork out big bucks for private lessons at an ice rink with other would-be Olympic hopefuls decked out in their $200-to-$300 costumes. So, I convinced myself that if I could rollerskate well enough, I would eventually just be able to translate those talents to the ice.

Flash forward to the year 2012, and now, as a 35-year-old, I still don’t know how to ice skate, but give me a pair of white roller skates with hot-pink wheels and I can still Shoot the Duck. My point here? I’m the first to be inspired by quotes by people like Walt and the like, but sometimes, when you get discouraged about whether or not you had courage to pursue those dreams – you have to also think about opportunity. Did you even have the opportunity to spread your wings? Some of us did. Some of us didn’t. Some of us are still grappling with it all. The good news? If you didn’t have the opportunity when you were a child to see if you had the courage, but do now – it’s not too late.

That being said, you won’t find me in an ice rink anytime soon, but I’ve been inspired by the thoughts of what 2012 has to offer. I’ve also been inspired by a 4-foot-10-inch boy named Jayden, who picked up a saxophone this year for his band class and makes that woodwind sing like he was born with the instrument in his hand. Witnessing him makes me want to run and take those piano lessons I used to wish so hard for.

Likewise, 2011 seemed to be the year several of my friends and family decided to create the opportunity they never had during their younger years and begin pursuing their dreams. For instance, my husband decided 2011 would be the year he’d attempt to run the Philadelphia marathon. He was all geared up and trained up when he discovered he hadn’t registered in time. No worries; 2012 will be his year. My dear friend Jacqueline Cavender decided it was also time for her to move forward on a dream – to publish a cookbook that’s been rattling around in her head since her mother’s passing from cancer in 1997.

The cookbook will be a compilation of her recipes, her mother’s recipes and recipes of friends and family she refers to as “famous,” even if they aren’t. Scheduled to come out in the spring of 2013, the cookbook will raise money for cancer research, cystic fibrosis research and other terminal childhood diseases. With yours truly as the editor, my dear friend’s dream provided me with the opportunity to check one off my own bucket list.

Some of your goals may be a little simpler. Maybe you’ve just wanted to lose the last 10 pounds of the baby weight you’ve been carrying since your last child. It’s never easy to start working out, but it’s time to create the opportunity for yourself. Tyler and East Texas, in general, have so many outlets for fitness including awesome gyms, workout facilities and outdoor fitness and recreational parks. I’ll tell you from experience, it’s so much easier when you have a workout buddy who can motivate and hold you accountable: 2011 was my year to get back in shape, and while I’ve got a long way to go, I already feel such an accomplishment in just saying that, with the help of my workout buddies, I started and I’m on my way.

Funny how a little quote can bring on such contemplation. I share all of this with you to help spark your thinking, that sometimes, it’s our job as a friend, a community member, a parent, a spouse to help provide the opportunity someone else may need to find the courage to pursue their dreams.

Happy New Year!