Stevie Szabad, Author

When was the first time you realized that something you wanted to do, or be, or see, or experience, was not going to be possible in your lifetime? I can think about my young female self watching NHL hockey games on TV, and understanding that I could never play in the NHL. This feeling must happen over and over in life, as we pick paths that necessarily close others. Here’s a list of things that, at my age now, I suddenly (as in, suddenly thought about it) know will not be a part of my own life, despite having dreamt of them once upon a time:

I’ll never be an astronaut. Yes, I thought about how to do this once. Chris Hadfield is about my age; it was possible!

I’ll never live on a ranch and ride horses. Sigh. Maybe for a holiday?

I’ll never climb Mount Everest. Or Kilimanjaro even. Nope, not even for a holiday.

I never became a lawyer, or an archeologist, or an Olympic athlete. Don’t wanna anymore, anyway. When did that happen?

I’ll never have more children. Thank goodness! Grandchildren are coming though, so can’t really count this one.

I’ll never time travel. I read “A Wrinkle in Time” when it first came out in the 1960s. Well, neither will you, at least in the forseeable future (!?)

BUT… lest you think I’m sad about all these negative musings, fear not. I’ve discovered a great way to live my dreams, a way that many of us share, and I bet you can guess what it is. Reading. I read, and by reading, I’ve lived all these lives and more – even the time travel! Happy musings yourself, and if it gets a little depressing, find a documentary about climbing Mount Everest – that’ll smarten you up. 😉