"Dream, dream, dream, dream……" The Everly Brothers
On my walking route in our neighborhood, I pass by a public tennis court. There are always assorted people playing. Older men, laughing and obviously not keeping score. Young couples trying to impress one another with their skill. Youth, whacking the ball as hard as possible and running with all their might to chase it. This is to say that not many people who play on this court are what I would call 'serious' tennis players.
This lack of competitive seriousness may have contributed to the stenciled message that exists on the mat hung on the fence that keeps balls from going into the woods, down the bluff, and into the Mississippi River. The message is simple:"Dream More". It is stenciled in red letters with hearts surrounding it.
Dream more. Not just dream but dream MORE. Perhaps it is a subliminal message for those playing tennis. Dream more and become better at the game. Somehow I don't think so. The message was so carefully done, not your usual graffiti, so I think it was posted there for the goodness of the message itself. Dream MORE.
Couldn't we all do with a little more dreaming? Adults in particular, myself included, often have put their dreams to rest. Gone are the hours spent dreaming about the things we will achieve, the irrational 'what ifs' that can give birth to some new adventure, some amazing change. After a certain age we can begin to replace the dreaming with regret, no longer seeing the possibilities of our big ideas. Life can then become an act of marking time.
Maybe the person who stenciled that message was a child. Maybe they snuck out to the tennis courts in the middle of the night, paint and brush in hand to remind all the adults who pass by all the possibilities they once saw. Maybe all the hearts that surround the words are simply their way of saying this is a message of love. Please, dream more.
What dreams that once drove your life have you forgotten? What dreams do you want to rekindle? What space can you make for dreaming today? No matter your age, young or old, someone needs us to dream more. They went to the trouble to stencil their message. I saw it and I am passing it on to you. It is now up to each of us what we will do with it.