I found out tonight that a friend from college is publishing his first book of poetry. How many hurdles must stand in the way of someone trying to be a poet today? It’s so easy to give up on a dream and take the path most often traveled. It’s hard to follow your dream – the path is so seldom taken.
I have friends and family, who have written books and novels, challenged the orthodoxy in science, published scientific papers in peer reviewed journals, traveled around the world, become doctors, worked as a truck driver while doing their Ph.D., motorcycled across Spain, become American citizens, started their own company, become university professors, accepted appointments at FDA, played guitar in a band, become stand-up comics, become millionaires, ran for public office, signed up for the military, played professional sports, etc.
There are things that are impossible to just “fall” into. These are people that dared to do something a little different or had enough confidence in themselves to just follow their dream. These are the people that inspire me and remind me that life is what we make of it. We have a choice and though we don’t always make the best choice, the future can always been different than the past. Here’s to the daring, adventurous, and bold in all of us. Here’s to my friend: a poet, who is following his bliss.