Killing Dreams, Killing a future.

Are you a dream killer or a dream supporter?
If someone has a dream and you constantly finds ways to undermine it, then you just might be killing the potential of their future.

Let's take little Eddie down the street. He wants to learn to play the guitar and be a rock star. So he goes out and cuts lawns, rakes leaves and anything else he can find to earn a buck. His room is filled with music magazines and books to feed his mind. Finally he has enough money to go to the pawn shop and get that guitar he has had his eye on. It's nothing fantastic or grand, but it like he, has potential. Eddie spends hours learning how to play it in his room. At first his parents think it is neat he is working so hard at it. Then comes the day that THEY decide for him that he needs to pursue something else. Something more to their liking. So now they begin telling him that he is spending way to much time playing the guitar.
Now when ever he picks it up to play, they bang on the wall telling him to turn that racket down.He wants to go to the school for the arts but they tell him he should set his sights on something else. They've already picked out his future for him and guide him that way. The guitar to them is a fantasy,something for personal entertainment only. Whenever his mother sees it she puts it in a closet or hides it behind the couch. It is something that should be hidden away in her thinking. Out of sight out of mind his father says. Eddie tries to talk about music to them but they change the subject to something more towards their liking.
His father tells him that an engineering job has great potential. Why, he himself always wanted to be an engineer but his own father wanted him to learn the plumbing business.
Their dream for him and his life is more important than his own dreams and desires.
So, Eddie goes on to the school of his parents direction and winds up with a job he hates.He has pleased his parents to no end and they brag about his fine house and car.
Eddie is depressed and walks the world a zombie like so many others that have had their paths chosen and guided for them. His own children learn of his guitar playing youth but his parents chime in at how he just gave it up for some unknown reason.

"Why did you stop playing the guitar anyway?" His mother asks.
His father says "Why yes son. Why did you? You were getting so good at it. Maybe you should get your own son involved in it and give him the push he needs."

Eddie just looks at them with is mouth agape. Then he announces "My son wants to be a skateboard champion pop. He practices all the time and even earned the money to buy it in the first place. You should see him. He's really good at it."

"Oh. But there is no future in that Eddie. That is just a pipe dream. No future at all when he becomes a man. But music, now there is a good future. All sorts of good ways to earn a living in that." His parents tell him.

Eddie and his brother, Alex, get together now and again and talk about their youthful days playing their own music. Music that the world would never hear. After some talking, Eddie decides to look into some musical arts schools for his son.
He begins to find ways to guide his son away from the dead end skateboarding thing. The next day he comes in and sees the skateboard just inside the back door. He slides it behind the golf clubs in the entryway closet.

"Out of site, out of mind he thinks."

Do you know someone with a dream all of their own? Why not help them nuture it along by giving support and help in their own dream and not yours. Don't find upteen million reasons why it won't work out. It's their life and their dream so get behind them. Not in front of them! Whether it is your child, wife or husband or even brother and sister. Give support in their dream. Don't demand or expect that what you wish for is good for them as well.

One day you'll be able to say " I'm so proud of him/her. He/she knew just what they wanted and went for it. I gave them nothing but support, after all, my own dream was derailed and I've always resented that fact to some degree."

The boy playing football. Is that his dream or his fathers?
The girl taking dance lessons or modeling. Is that her dream or her mothers?
Do you tell your daughter that riding a motorcycle is unlady like?
Are you telling your son that his acting is a deadend gig and to hard to get into.

Shame on you then. Shame on all of you.