lost opportunities

I was chatting with a lady at the doctor’s office a few days ago. She told me about her dad who had a dream of becoming a bartender. After he retired he realized his dream, but he didn’t last long in the business because at his advanced age he had trouble staying awake past 9:00. He was OK with that, there were other dreams. Although he didn’t drink, he had always wanted a bar in his home, so he built one in his basement, a fifteen stool bar. His daughter said to him, “Why do you need one that big?” “Because I have an oven back here and when I bake cookies I’ll have all this counter space to spread them out to cool.” Then he became a car salesman, but he wasn’t too good at it, the “father” in him came through and he tended to talk people out of buying new cars they couldn’t afford… Still, these were his dreams, his passions, and pursuing them brought joy into his life.

When I was a little girl I wanted to be a dancer, a musician, a secretary, and/or a grade school teacher when I grew up, among other things. Girlish dreams and hopes… Although some of those opportunities have been lost, the dreams remain and it has been interesting to see how they have been realized, at least in part, in unexpected ways. There was never any money for me to take piano lessons, but the first thing I bought when I was on my own was a piano. Over the years I have taken lessons several different times (one time trading them for babysitting), fitting in my practicing around taking care of the growing family. Progress has been slow, but it has been progress; and although I am not accomplished by any means, I can play well enough to accompany the children at church. It brings much joy into my life.

My parents decided for me that I should be a dental hygienist so I didn’t become a grade school teacher, but I have taught many church classes for children and spent four years teaching an adult gospel doctrine class. A highlight of my life was the three years I taught a 6:30 a.m. seminary class to teenagers. It used every one of my skills and talents and was very fulfilling to me; it was a dream and passion realized. And as far as being a secretary, I had the opportunity to manage the Bishops’ Storehouse (a food bank) for 19 months as a volunteer, fulfilling that dream.

Sometimes we are disappointed that our lives haven’t gone quite like we had hoped; things would have been better, or at least different “if “only”. But I think that just because an opportunity is lost doesn’t necessarily mean it is gone forever.

I’ve yet to become a dancer, but notice I said “yet”…