Winter time is my favorite time of the year. Now I know what you all are probably thinking. Well of course it is, Christmas is just around the corner, and who doesn't love Christmas? And while I do love Christmas and all of the festivity, these are not the reasons why I love this season.
As many of you may know I grew up in a small town in Northern California, in a neighborhood where everyone knew one another's names. My best friends where my neighbors and while at night the streets where bare and quiet, during the day they would come alive with the games of the kids, the talk of the parents, and the smells of what everyone was making to eat that day. As I grew older I began to realize that the beauty and wonder of that neighborhood was not because of its location or its aesthetic awe, it was beautiful because of the people who lived there.
When I was seventeen and getting ready to leave for college the people who owned the house next to ours moved out, and a younger couple moved it. They had two young boys and seemed very happy. When returning home from college I enjoyed seeing how the kids on the street still played there as I once did with my friends when I was younger. It was a great place to grow up.
However, about five months ago, during summer break something tragic happened. The husband of the couple who moved in next door, while out exercising, suddenly died. He was only in his mid 30s and had a great family, a great job, and lived in a great neighborhood; everything seemed to be going his way in life. The family did not expect it as he was not sick and had no family history of any serious illness. It was a tragic loss for the family, as well as the entire neighborhood as we had all grown very close to this new family who had moved in just a few years ago.
A few weeks later I came home and found my mom talking to the wife of the man who had recently passed. As I approached to give my condolences, I overheard her say that what bothered her the most was how young he was, and how they still had so much to do together; things they said they would always do, but just never got around to it. This really got me thinking about my life. We always here people telling us that life is too short and that we should live each day to the fullest and never let anything hold us back from accomplishing our dreams, but how many of us actually do this?
When I was a child I dreamt of flying, becoming a professional soccer player, and traveling through some uncharted forest on a quest to find a long lost treasure that would somehow change the world. I dreamt similar dreams of all children, and as I've gotten older I've realized just how hard it is and would be to make some of those dreams come true; However, there are some dreams that I will never and can never give up. Throughout high school I always knew I wanted to go to college, so I worked hard and went. I also always dreamt of going white water rafting so, last summer, I decided to finally go, and it was unforgettable. I wanted to play the guitar since I was a little kid. I used to flip my cello on its side and act as if it really was a guitar, so three years ago I bought a guitar, and playing it has become a huge part of my life. I still have dreams today. Dreams that I am working towards or cannot fulfill at this point in my life. But I also have dreams that I have ignored. Dreams that I have neglected or given up for reasons that, looking back, were not meaningful enough.
So, what I want all of you to take away from this is the importance of not only having dreams, but also chasing after them. No one knows what tomorrow will bring, and, as cliché as that sounds, it really is true. So my charge for you all is to think of the one dream that seems so deeply rooted inside of you that it is as if it is part of you. Once you have found it, follow it. Whether that be writing, or running, or chasing after a career, it matters not. What does matter is that you go after it.
Tying this back to the beginning of this blog. Winter is my favorite season because it acts as a form of hibernation for me. It is rejuvenating and relaxing, and it brings about the new year. So as this new year approaches, heed my words. Think of a dream and, once you have found it, go.
May Your Travels Be True,
Nick Hart
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