Growing up-1

     I have grown up, learning how sarcastic the childhood dreams and motivations can be in our lives. Thus, I dare say "Follow your dream" is a harmful incentive.
     Yet one day, I attend an English class. For the speaking part: "Describe your dream".
     I became speechless. I do not have any shattered childhood dreams. As a matter of fact, I have never had any childhood dreams. I never dreamt big. I watched enough cartoons and movies when I was young to learn that dreams will never come true. It is just a fairytale, a cliché to encourage children. Staring at the topic, I started making up stories. In grade 6, my story is an inventor like Thomas Edison. In grade 8, my story is a doctor like my grandmother. In grade 10, my story is a diploma. Inconsistent dreams made up by the inconsistent mind appear so compelling. Anyone hearing my dreams, they feel so convinced, so touched by my ambition, or at least, my made-up ambition.
     That was the moment when everything is suddenly elucidated. I do not need a consistent mind to tell people my stories. I need a flexible mind to invent stories. As long as I can make up stories, I will still have a simple, altruistic dream. I felt comfortable with my flexibility and improvisation. Yet, that extempore dream never made me happy. I did not feel the urge to achieving and reaching the heyday of my dream career. I never felt so ambitious, endeavoring to realize my goal despite desperately pushing myself to do so. I lived without purpose. The only thing that kept me alive was my behavior of acting as if I had had a dream.
     Just when I was in the depths of despair, writing lifted me up and out of the blue, passion flowed into my mind. I can manipulate my improvisation, realizing it into a dream. Forasmuch as we are humans, dreams fly high and lift us up to the sky. For the very first time in my life, I have that simple, altruistic dream: writing. I started learning English, entitling myself to novels from authors around the world. I learned that since time immemorial, language has been per se the means of communication and self-expression. I found myself pursuing the suitable path, the path that I exert myself to tread. I was captivated by language and literature. One of my most inextricably linked memory to writing was when I read Neil Gaiman. I learned to depict the antagonist prior to the protagonist. Seeing that the action, the attitude, and the plot of the former would define the later. The elucidation struck me profoundly.
     If my dream is the protagonist, what can be the antagonist? Does that mean the antagonist of my dream is non-existent? That is another moment. I have never depicted my dream's antagonist. Where the villain comes into being, the hero rises and where my struggles exist, I will have a dream. I was ready to come up with criticism for what I would write because that was what writers do, they face all the sarcasm and pride themselves on their masterpieces. I was ready to spend my free time reading novels, watching movies by directors to learn the art of writing. I have never been so stern on pursuing the path of writing
     The child is young yet aware of what an astronaut does and that is why he wants to be so. Adults aware of the hardships for an astronaut and the impossibility to do so, consign the dream to oblivion. The explanation may seem plausible yet contradicts all the above. And from my perspective, it does not. Adults have another dream: a decent life with a decent family to rest but a child wants an adventure, something challenging and compelling rather than something just enough. A child desires great things so he dreams big.
     Then if I want to face myself with struggles, I will dream high.
     The worst advice I have ever learned is "Follow your dream". Forasmuch as life continues, a dream is never easy to pursue. What I want to advise is "Follow your struggle"s. Because where struggles exist, I will have a dream to surpass them.

P/s: The first two paragraphs only aim to elucidate more on how the child realizes the dream would be shattered. It is up to you whether to read it or not. I did not expect this to be some kind of a plot twist, just my own perspective.
   
   

         
     One of the most frequently asked questions when we were young would be: "What is your dream?". The innocence, the pretty mind looking the world with rose-colored glasses would answer what they really want: an engineer, an astronaut, or a doctor. Dreams fly high with our childhood. And adults have been at that same phase, with that same dream. So when they grow up, hearing children saying so, their most common reaction would be: "Great job! Just follow your dream and it will become true".  Just an incentive, an encouragement that all adults have but there exists the mutual perception that nearly all of these dreams will be consigned into oblivion. The child grows, realizing it is never la vie on rose. Abound in struggles and mishaps but devoid of joie de vivre and positiveness. His dream is shattered. What is left of the dream would just be a memory of an unforgettable, innocent, and playful childhood. Inasmuch as myriad children dream of becoming an astronaut, how many of them would grow up becoming one? Not too many I suppose. That's when one learns never to follow his dream.
     Another scenario would be a child with a so-called mediocre dream, even "inferior". A dream that is maybe, common yet also uncommon. "I want to be a laborer". The very first reaction would be amazement and somewhat disappointment. A child should be raised on a regular basis to learn that he would dream big then become blissfully unaware of that naive dream being shattered. Why is he dreaming so much of a mediocrity? All will be resolved after hearing his explanation. It could be: "I want to be a laborer because I will make the world a better place. I will clean the streets and make people happy!". Suddenly, the mediocre dream becomes a simple, altruistic one. How did that happen?- It is the kindness of a child. And the reaction then? Of course, it would be cheering motivation. "Follow your dream and make the world a better place". Nevertheless, the child grows up, learning the value of his childhood dream- nothing but a mere inferior job. It would be the least he can ever dream of, what only those with no better job will do. Again, the simple, altruistic dream is shattered. The worst advice I have ever learned is "Follow your dream"