Call Me When You Start Dreaming

What is your ultimate dream? What makes you stay up at night? What is that thing that keeps tugging at your spirit, calling you to grab it with both hands? What are you doing to achieve this dream?

My mom claims I began reading newspapers in preschool. I would sit with the newspaper for hours going through articles, memorising words and drawing a picture in my mind of what the story represented; well according to my mom anyway. In primary school I would walk the isles of the library looking for books I have yet to read. I began sacrificing play time and boys (not that boys were very into me at that age but that’s a story for another day) for books.

In high school I was introduced to literature. I was surprised that we were given freedom to explain the story we saw behind the words of a poem. I was amazed at the fact that we could breathe life into stories written centuries ago. With our words, we could change the narrative of words spoken years ago. Whether it was in Afrikaans or English, I loved the idea of literature. At some point I realised that I was in love with words. I realised that the diaries I kept and the notes written in chalk in my cupboard were more than just passing idle time. These were all signs of a dream I never knew I had.

Today I am 25 and I’m still on the quest to make words my life. I blog and dabble in poetry but I know it is not enough. I wish to spend every waking moment writing and reading and writing some more. I carry a journal for my thoughts, an app for my scribbles and a book to jog my imagination. I am a shameless dreamer that wishes to reach my dream in this lifetime. Perhaps I sacrifice too much. I spend less time socialising and more time writing and working on my next move. Thinking how I can get to the destination I see everyday when I go to sleep.

So I no longer feel guilty when I miss a party. Yes I need to socialise, but I do not plan to spend most of my twenties socialising with no concrete movement towards my goals. In a world where everyone is carefree, I long to be with those that pursue their dreams relentlessly.