You are never to old to dream:Writers Quote Wednesday

You are never to old to set another goal or to dream
C.S. Lewis

I like this sentiment but find it increasingly difficult to abide by.

When I was younger than cutting edge I had dreams. Big dreams Larger than I was. I wanted to travel. Travel to India,I knew Mowgli didn’t actually live there but still. . . to the Balkans, that was due to Katie of the Balkans and other books. To the Far East and to Africa, I had read the books I needed to see them for myself.When I was ten an expedition to Antarctica being launched and we had to make a scrapbook of the event.

I added Antarctica to the list.

Then I grew more ambitious

I also wanted to fly a hot air balloon. Jules Verne, obviously, began that train of thought when I was young. Then Georgette Heyer reinforced it with Frederica. In a day when few civilians flew in aeroplanes I thought it would be a good dream . I was the first in the family to do so.

The cinema put the Americas on radar and they were duly added to the travel list.

As I progressed through my teens, I learnt how to ride horses and thought maybe trekking would be good ( a small ambition, first I managed to fulfil) I filled the boring hours at school with small dreams, stupid dreams such as going to University – I had been chucked out quite a few classes by then and had not a hope in hell of achieving it – still a dream is a dream.

Maybe I’d grow rich and have my own abode, a country cottage perhaps, with roses and a couple of cats, I’d be a scary old crone who terrified the local kids. Or I could be a half starved writer and hide in the gloom hunched over a typewriter. Maybe. . . .

All these dreams were ridiculous for the time. Girls didn’t often go to university back then, travel just after a world war wasn’t the norm especially for girls. Only scientists and explorers got Antarctica. Hot air balloons were for books.There was no way I’d be rich unless I married money and as I had decided very early in life that was not my path in life that was out as well. Ah well!:)

But they were my dreams and I was determined to make them come true.

I left school and began my travels. I went to the Balkans, to the Soviet Union, travelled over the Himalayas, didn’t see Mowgli in India but I never thought I would:) however it was a magical place. I visited the Far East and Africa – not all of it but quite a bit. Then one day when I was forty I went up in a hot air balloon. I spent a week learning how to fly it, to dismantle and put it up, the history of the sport and had an exciting hours flying or chasing it over muddy fields.

I thought I would try and write a book decided if I set it in USA I could travel over there (for research of course!:)

Empowered by travel and age I decided I must go to University – so I did. I was on a roll. I finished the book and tucked it away in a box in the attic – took my exams collected my degrees, half way through the courses my sister inherited some money and sent me off to Antarctica – Yay – the continent was open to visitors nothing, would have stopped me and I took in South America while I was about it.

I did think to be rich meant lots of money but I discovered over the years that there is far more to it than pounds, shillings and pence. I consider myself rich beyond any dream, just a little short on the cash!

Only the cottage, roses and cats left. It’s not a cottage but a bungalow, cats and roses of course. I had ticked everything off my list before I retired.

What to do?

New dreams were needed.

I wouldn’t just write a book I would publish one. By now it was possible to self publish. I had to learn a great deal about computers and the Internet. Okay, new dream ticked off, five times. Now what to do?

I need new dreams or is it time to smile sweetly and be content?

No wait!

I still need to be an old crone and terrify the neighbourhood children:)

This quote is part of Silver Threading’s  Writer’s Quote series. Writer’s who have helped inspire my writing and my life. Pop over and follow other quotes there are many inspiring posts