When We Dream

A few weeks back, my friend HipMama boldly posted her family's awesome dream, which involves horses and farming and beds and breakfasts and so much cool stuff that you must go read about it and wait, like us, with bated breath for it to become a reality so you can go enjoy it.

It's a daring move to share one's dream. As HipMama points out, what if you don't want the same thing next week? What if, for some reason, it never becomes a reality and you're either just the sad dreamer or the failure? What if no one else on the planet is at all inspired by your dream?

In late elementary and early middle school, I wanted to be an astronaut. I reeeeeally wanted to be an astronaut. And I didn't just talk about it, I planned on it. I covered my bedroom walls with pictures of shuttles and planets and spacewalkers. I went to SpaceCamp. Twice. Not the kind of SpaceCamp that you go to with your 4th grade class. I went to the kind in the movie. Sleepaway, intensive, SpaceCamp with tests and missions and zero-gravity chairs. Everyone knew I wanted to be an astronaut.

Clearly, that didn't pan out. Math got harder, my body proved to be less than a perfect specimen, and it became clear that I'd be a better writer than engineer. Now, I'm not even comfortable on an airplane.

But people remembered, and I knew they were holding it over me. I couldn't share "dreams" anymore because "remember how you wanted to be an astronaut? what happened to that?" In my own head, I'd let down the people who were cheering me on, so maybe it was better to just keep the dreams to myself until they became realities.

Then along came some wise friends, some inspirations, and some kindred spirits. The waters seem a little safer for dream sharing. So, HipMama, as promised in your comments section, here is our "current" dream:

We dream of owning and operating a mid-sized performing arts venue that seeks out and showcases reedeming culture. Part coffee house, part live music club, part community center, part church. We want it to be a place where mainstream culture meets the Gospel and people get caught in the middle, engaging in honest intellectual discussion and creative expression of spirituality. We want solid national acts performing weekly and a revolving door of sought-after speakers. We want an in-house theater company performing quarterly shows that provoke thought and stimulate after-show discussions. We want a pastor-in-residence - always around, always ready for questions, answers or coffee.

Think Relevant Magazine as a building.

And now, we will operate a travel agency in the back.