Never forget your dreams

I couldn't pass up this sign!

I got a sign last week that I should write about dreams.

It was an ordinary sign with an extraordinary message.  "Never Forget Your Dreams".

 I was just on my way back after completing a 10K Volksmarch to the Crazy Horse Memorial with friends, and I was tired. And then I suddenly saw this huge yellow sign in the middle of nowhere. It was a good reason to stop, rest a bit and snap a photo. As I sipped some water and took a break in the shade after the nearly 7 mile walk,  I reflected on what I had seen that day, what it meant, and why it was important.

Most people have heard of Mount Rushmore in South Dakota which features the granite faces of four U.S. Presidents. It's a must see for tourists.  But only 17 miles from the iconic Rushmore is the Crazy Horse Memorial, halfway between the two towns of Custer and Hill City.

The two sculptures have much in common.  Mount Rushmore and Crazy Horse Memorial are both carved on mountains in the Black Hills, and are impressive in size and level of detail.  One big difference though.  The Crazy Horse Memorial is still under construction.  Compared to Mount Rushmore, which took 14 years to complete, Crazy Horse Memorial started in 1948, and it's still not done, 69 years later. When it will be completed is anyone's guess.

Lakota Chief Henry Standing Bear commissioned Sculptor Korczak Ziolkowski to design the memorial. Ziolkowski started on the monumental task in 1948.  It turned out to be a labor of love.  He died in 1982.  His children and grandchildren continue the project today. It's slow going because it's solely funded by private donations and admission fees. The nice thing about that is they have freedom to continue designing it as it was intended by Chief Standing Bear and their father. Despite challenging circumstances, they haven't lose sight of the dream.

At the top of the Crazy Horse Memorial

The dreams we each have are rarely set in stone like Crazy Horse Memorial. But like Crazy Horse, they also may take years - and even decades to realize.We may have dreams but don't know how to achieve them. Sometimes we ask ourselves, is it worth it?  We may think we know what we want, but we don't have the whole picture.  The future can be scary. How much easier and safer it is just to stay right where we are. But that doesn't make life interesting, does it?

Are you willing to take a leap of faith? Then, pack your bags with courage and determination for the journey. And, be willing to take different paths, especially when things don't work out as expected. Tomorrow is promised to no one. Don't wait to do what you must do. Time is fleeting. The worst is to have regrets.

When I made the decision to retire almost two years ago, I took a leap of faith that I was making the right decision, at the right time and for the right reasons. Good so far.

A friend moved to Germany this week to start a new job. She is realizing a dream. I'm sure it took courage for her to leave friends, family, and coworkers behind and embark on the new venture. I wish Anna well and admire her for her decision.

Not all of us are so lucky. Sometimes things happen and we have no choice but to give up our dreams or at least temporarily put them aside. The dreamer in me feels sad, but the realist in me accepts this. This can also happen in relationships, in careers, and in families.

My blog is one of my dreams. I do not know where it might take me or what the next topic will be. So what is your dream?  Think about it and hold it in your heart a while. Then go for it!  Don't let anything stand in the way of your dreams!