boyhood dreams

As a kid growing up I often dreamt about what I would one day achieve or become when I reached that unknown destination of being a grown-up. My first memories of answering that question were that I wanted to become a clown or a Supreme Court justice. A noble goal for any 6 year old and a popular thing for my parents to showcase for their grown-up friends. Whenever things got boring they just brought in lil'ol Jon and asked him what he wanted to be when he grew up and I would give my answer and people would laugh and say I could combine them and become the president. I still don't quite get that one but I remember at least two people saying it.

Later I began to mature my goals and by 6th grade I had firmly decided that I wanted to be a professional soccer player and one day play in the World Cup. I was convinced that this was a hard but realistic goal since I was the leading scorer in the city Parks and Rec championship match. The world was my oyster. I even wrote an essay for my English class in 7th grade putting forth this goal and how I was going to go about reaching it. It was a good essay, actually I am pretty sure it wasn't, but my teacher wrote back that if I set my mind to it I would have a good chance at success. Sadly this was a lie but I was excited at the moment.

I am now neither a professional soccer player nor on my way to the Supreme Court, although with all these open seats my figures are crossed. My job sometimes requires acting a little like a clown but in all honesty they kind of freak me out so I try and avoid thinking in those terms. So those dreams are now merely fond memories. But now I have a new dream. Yesterday was the Madison Ironman and seeing these men and women put their bodies through hell for way too long and yet overcome and succeed was amazing. I am challenged and excited to at least dream about doing the same thing. What an incredible feat of human strength and will.

I have been able to finish a marathon and I did a hundred miles on my bike yesterday and don't feel too bad. I hate swimming but I am working on it. So why not combine them all and see if I can try it and not die. We shall see. Maybe this is another 7th grade essay but than again maybe not. Maybe just maybe I could do it. We shall see.