Fulfill Your Little Dreams

We all have big dreams that probably aren’t going to come true.  Most of us will never fly to the moon or design a skyscraper.  We may not make it to Kathmandu or climb Mount Everest and, as we settle into mid-life we realize our chances of becoming president or a Supreme Court Justice are pretty slim.  Mostly we’re okay with the realization that our big dreams will remain just that.

Our little dreams are another story.  They are a lot more attainable than we might realize.  Did you ever think it would be cool to tell your friends (or yourself) that you were going sailing or surfing or that you tap-danced or spoke five languages?  Did you always want to play the piano or the guitar?

You may not know it but these little dreams are actually pretty easy to fulfill.  Think you have a love of sailing but haven’t ever actually done it?  Basic beginner’s sailing courses are available all over the country, not only at the shore but at many lakes and large rivers too.  Google “sailing lessons” and whatever body of water is nearby and you may be surprised by the result.  You don’t need your own boat and many of the courses are offered over a single weekend.  Prices vary greatly depending on location and can range from around $300 to more than $500.  Most courses allow a maximum of four people on the boat so you’ll get plenty of opportunity to do everything and see if you really do love it.  If your significant other also has a yen for the sea, one of these weekend courses might be the perfect couple’s getaway!  Don’t have one?  Go anyway; doubtless you won’t be the only solo sailor in the class.

Think you’re too old to surf?  Peter Heller, author of Kook: What Surfing Taught Me About Love, Life, and Catching the Perfect Wave, learned at age 47 and talks about meeting people who learned in their 60’s.  You’re probably going to have to be near the ocean to take surfing lessons but there are hundreds of opportunities out there.  If you don’t live near a coast, plan a vacation around it.  Call ahead and talk to different schools.  Tell them your age and voice your concerns, if you have any.  You’ll probably be surprised to find you’re not the only mid-lifer they’ve helped discover the joys of being out on the waves.  If you’re afraid you’ll be embarrassed, ask them about private lessons.  Do your homework, sign up with a reputable school and get out there!

Is playing the piano or guitar your secret desire?  Get started with Garage Band, a computer program for Mac or PC.  Rent, buy or borrow a keyboard or guitar and give it a whirl.  The program provides excellent starter lessons that are easy to follow and give you a good basic foundation.  You can complete them in the privacy of your own home and at your own speed.  Alternatively, there are lots of instructors out there, many of who are willing to come to your home or who provide lessons in their home.  According to AARP music teachers across the country report a surge in adult clients, with takelessons.com saying their 50-plus clientele has risen 25% in the past year.  Stop yearning and start strumming; you won’t be alone!

Language lessons are probably the easiest to rustle up.  Colleges and universities across the country offer language lessons in both their regular course schedules and their community outreach or adult education classes.  Don’t want to learn in a group or commit to a whole semester before you dip your toe in?  Try iTunes for dozens of free and/or low cost lessons in every conceivable language.  Download to your iPod or your computer and get started!

Speaking of iTunes, have you checked out iTunes U?  The virtual motherlode of free learning, iTunes U offers hundreds of courses from numerous universities in subjects as diverse as Beginning Philosophy from Stanford to the History of European Civilization from UC Berkeley and Building a Business from the University of Oxford.  Again, just download to your computer or your iPod, if you have one, and start learning!

So what’s your excuse?  Do you have a little dream?  Take steps to realize it.  If you find out you don’t enjoy it as much as you thought you would, try something else!  That’s the beauty of following your dreams in midlife, we’re not looking for a way to support ourselves, we’re just having fun!

I’m taking sailing lessons when I get to Houston.  What little dream do you have?  Have you taken steps to realize it?  Are you going to?