Tick Tick Tick

Routines rule our lives. Sorry, it's true. Somewhere in there we all know it. Think about it. We have our morning routine before our work/school routine. During that work routine, we have our escape from it by acting out our lunch break routine. Our after work routine soon follows, followed by the bedtime routine. All of this encapsulated into the daily routine. The daily routine eventually extends into the monthly and yearly constants; tick, tick, tick......

Their stealthy presence slips in undetected night after night, buzzer after buzzer, until finally they have fully taken over, sometimes even without notice. In many cases these routines become so controlling that they are even able to prevent dreams from being aspired for -- Well I was thinking about being this (career), but this happened (needed to make money for goal, got a job, never left)... -- and so on and so on. Surely it has already happened to me several times in a different manner. Surely it has happened to family members and loved ones and people I respect. And of course, surely I respect the people who have had to take this route for whatever reason.

Some daily routines are said to be obligatory, but in 98% of the cases the person acting out the routine is the one who created it as a result of complacency. Complacency is easy, no? If we all take a step back I am sure we will notice one thing happening in the daily routine as a result of complacency. Yes we all must make a living and at some point then probably support a family (take on "responsibilities"), but it is no reason to forget the things that make us an individual. Was it not that perhaps adolescent venturing for the stars that allowed for the path to be paved to the present? But we easily write those days off to childhood innocence, written off due to the unknowing lack of responsibility that unfortunately will not be present when we are older? What, is it that when we are older we are just so burdened with our responsibilities that we realize that most dreams are just dreams and nothing more? No thanks.

Now I guess I am referring to dreams in two different manners, one for things we think about when we sleep, and one for the ideal routine we imagine ourselves living. How different are these two instances? Funny how easily one slips into the other while writing. I am a dreamer. I am also a believer in dreams. This blog post is for the dreamers out there, people willing to achieve goals despite whatever life throws at them. The people that do not always listen to conservative advice to live on the side of taking a chance and putting themselves out there knowing the reward is worth the risk. To the chance-takers, life-livers, give-it-all-you-gotters out there, I commend you and all that you do.




I know incredible amounts of people that do not even regard their dreams anymore. Personal aspirations, nightly thoughts, try talking to them about dreams and attempt to analyze, nothing. Understandably, it can of course be a "touchy" subject in the case of personal stories of unavoidable obstacles preventing people from achieving goals; drawn-out agony is not always nice when it resurfaces. But I want to talk about those who are happy, content, successful people not falling into this category. Even these people want no part of the discussion. If the discussion is held, there is always an underlying understanding that no matter what is said, it can't be true/defined because dreams are what is being discussed (so there is a feeling of "humoring" the other just for conversation's sake). It is similar to talking about existential being, quantum theory, religion, all the questions without scientifically-definable answers. I believe that those who choose not to discuss these subjects or find it a waste of time to discuss them are doing it as an actual defense mechanism for their routines. I don't have the time to think about that kind of stuff. Perhaps pondering difficult questions will take too much attention from the routine and "throw everything out of whack!"? Perhaps these people have already overcome so many obstacles in their life that they choose not to address new ones? If this is true, then why would our younger years be the best years of our life if this is when we are forced to conquer the most obstacles in order to set the rest of our life on cruise control?

People often ask me or talk about how great it would be to "go back to those days, no?" -- No! Childhood is childhood; mine was great and I am both blessed and eternally grateful, but I didn't know anything. I don't really think high school was a really exciting place (I still didn't know anything, but I thought I did), and I would prefer to not have to do an undergraduate degree again that is for sure (again I still didn't know anything, but I thought I did). The things I understand and experience now and in my later years will just be more and more valued when compiled with all the knowledge and wisdom I have soaked in through the years.

So I am wondering if it is these same people who avoid a conversation about dreams are the same ones who stray away from striving for their goals and seeing it through no matter what? Obviously, generalizations aside.

On a side note, I believe it is the "urgency" of our routines that make us forget dreams.
So there you are, on a beach filled with white sand, sipping a Corona and watching the turquoise water dance and blend with the warm hues of the setting sun, when all of a sudden......... BUZZ BUZZ BUZZ, BUZZ BUZZ, BUZZ BUZZ BUZZ..... what the hell?
Immediately your sense of hearing takes you from your dream. Your open your eyes, and the visual of your room slowly comes into focus. Your vision now takes you away. All of the objects in your room, the alarm clock itself (which you have to touch to turn off), all of them have a correlation to a part of the brain. Then you have to start thinking about what you have to do that day. You had your alarm set for a reason, right? Yuck, that taste in your mouth, better start the morning routine. Within three seconds that dream is long gone.

Can this be used as a metaphor to describe the way personal goals/dreams can slip away so easily?

Just some thoughts. Often I find myself falling victim to this phenomena and attempt to resurface through various outlets. Even during my current ventures to achieve my next goal, I still feel the clenching grasp. I am sure we all have noticed how quickly days, weeks, months, years slip by as you get older? Blame it on the routine.