25 May 2012

Congratulations to new American Idol Phillip Phillips for achieving his dream.

Everyone has a dream.  Only problem is, when real life’s going well, the dream goes on the back burner.

Take me for example.  I’ve wanted to write a novel since I was 17, but all sorts of important events kept intruding:

• – first job, at the public library (busy reading books so didn’t have time to write one)
• – first serious boyfriend
• – leaving home and going flatting
• – boyfriend number two
• – new car, sports hatch
• – moving to London
• – exciting job in the City
• – English boyfriend, stockbroker natch
• – and so it goes on…

You get the drift don’t you?  Many reasons to procrastinate, and all of a sudden you’re old enough to have a 17 year old, and you still haven’t written the first chapter of your staggering work of genius.

So what happened to change things, and why did I start writing?  Fast forward to boyfriend number 21 and job number 13.  (We’ll ignore the fact that at my age you don’t actually call them boyfriends, but partners).  Things weren’t going well – the boyfriend was cheating and the job sucked more than a brand new Dyson.

Then it hit me. The best respite from real life is the dream.  I’d almost forgotten mine – to tell the boss to sod off, spend my days writing and become a best-selling author.  Did I mention the glamorous boyfriend who’s a wealthy literary agent?

So with the perseverance that had eluded me since first imagining I could write, I sat down at the keyboard (after work of course) and idea by idea, chapter by chapter, 300 pages of hope materialised.  And as so often happens when you’re moving towards a goal, life improves and good things come your way.

The latest boyfriend (make that partner) is kind, generous, likes the dogs, and is easy on the eye.  Looks a bit like Brad Pitt if you have beer goggles on.

The new job is challenging, pays well, and the boss is a smart bloke who feeds you material for Twitter and doesn’t mind if you get to work late (and leave early).  You love it so much you could work a 10 hour day, six days a week, and never retire.

But there’s the problem.  It’s so good your dream could return to the back burner.

Not this time.  My dream is like a child who’s been slumbering peacefully, but is now stirring, impatient for the day ahead. So I’ve been back on the keyboard, with a new resolve, and the launch of Transplanting Holly Oakwood is in sight.

Thanks for sharing my dream.  Now I’d like to know – what’s yours?