Dreaming Realistic Dreams

Two weeks from tomorrow I am running in the Chicago Marathon!  When I signed up back in April, it seemed so far away.  I had big dreams of qualifying for Boston.  Even if I hadn't gotten my job, qualifying would have been a long shot.  But now, with only running 2 or 3 days a week, sleeping 5 or 6 hours per night, eating crazy food and at crazy times. I think it might be impossible.  BUT I'm excited about running Chicago.  Just because I had a dream/goal of qualifying for Boston 2 years ago doesn't mean it was ever a real possibility.

It seems I get big ideas in my head - like when I was 21 and working for PriceWaterhouse and thought I could be a partner in a big accounting firm.  Never gonna happen.  Or what about when I started teaching and I thought I'd be this knock-socks-off-teacher to change my school.  Didn't happen.  

Now goals are good, don't get me wrong. And dreaming big is good, I'm a believer in aiming high.  But realism has to come in somewhere.  I didn't/don't have the mental capacity or personality to become an accounting big shot.  I'm not detail oriented enough nor do I have the training to be a phenomenal  teacher.  I can be a good teacher though, and I can run a good marathon.  And that is what I'm going to do.  I may not qualify for Boston, but I'm going to run a good race, enjoy myself and that is a great accomplishment for me.  I'm going to love and encourage my students and help them conquer 4th grade, and that is good enough for me.  

As far as the accounting goes, I can't even do my kids's taxes.  I should have changed my major as soon as I realized I didn't even enjoy the classes past Principles of Accounting.  I only enjoyed one day in my 2 years at PriceWaterhouse.  But it took me 20 years to change professions, and I still renew my CPA every year.  Some dreams are just hard to let go.

Dreaming of Chicago,

TVW