No One Should Be Allowed to Steal Your Dream
How I almost gave up writing as a child.
Hi there!
My dad worked as the maintenance foreman at the local hospital while I was growing up.
With strong hoarder tendencies (at least I know where I get it from), he was constantly bringing things home from the hospital. My mom was rarely pleased. If it was his job to dispose of an item, he always evaluated whether it could have a use later. If it had any value, he kept it.
My excitement bubbled from me every time he unloaded a load of discarded treasures. One haul brought us over 200 black-and-white TVs when the hospital upgraded to color sets. I was one of the few kids in the 70s with a TV in my room.
I was a god among my friends.
Another time, my dad brought home boxes of five-part paper. Each page included five pieces of paper with a piece of carbon paper before the last four held together by tear strips on each side. Type it once and you immediately had five copies. It was huge, a miracle in my young mind.
Since first grade, I knew I was going to be a writer. The new paper treasure gave me a fresh way to dispense my writing, and I quickly started publishing a family newsletter.
“No one has the power to shatter your dreams unless you give it to them.”
- Maeve Greyson
Scott Ninneman also publishes the free All Things Bipolar Newsletter (off Substack) The Sunday email features the newest content about bipolar life.
The Informer
The Informer was my way of keeping the family updated on everything happening. With two brothers and two sisters, all older than me, there was always a lot happening. The newsletter was also a way for me to add a little humor into everyone’s life.
Week after week, fresh issues of The Informer scrolled from my typewriter. I was a writer living my dream.
Somewhere along the way, I lost that dream.
Negative comments from other students and teachers, my grandmother’s counsel that I used the word “I” far too often, and the general disinterest of my family to read my words all worked together to shatter my dream.
Without realizing it, I gave everyone else the power to destroy my dreams. Once the power was out of my hands, it felt like there was no way to get it back.
Finding the Dream
I never gave up writing, but I no longer shared it with the world. For decades, I wrote volumes of text no one saw.
Then 2018 came, and I decided it was time to take my power back. In the years since, I have published hundreds of thousands of words online. While some stories have been truly awful, many have given others the encouragement they needed to keep fighting.
Your dream is your dream. Don’t let anyone steal it from you.
Your dream doesn’t have to be realistic or even attainable. Another of my dreams includes space travel, but that’s a story for another day.
It’s your dream, so dream what you want.
Hold on to your dreams because they give you something to live for—a reason to keep fighting.
Journal Prompt: What is one thing you gave up during your childhood you wish you would have pursued? Could you start it again? What would it mean to you?
Creative Writing Prompt: A time lord transports you back in time to work as your third-grade teacher. You can’t tell yourself who you are without damaging the timeline. Write a story about how you would guide your younger self.
Until next time, keep fighting.
Scott Ninneman
Additional Reading:
Disclaimer:
This email may contain affiliate links. If you make a purchase through one of these links, I may receive a small commission at no additional cost to you.