Everyone has at least one dream, don’t they? Admittedly, some are more realistic than others. Some are secret. Some are shared. Some last days, some years, others a lifetime. Some will come true, some may, others won’t.

To be famous, retire to a smallholding en Provence, have a traditional white wedding, make a million, own your own property, run your own company, become a national champion, have green eyes, speak four languages, sleep with a Hollywood film star, travel the world, have a child…

Some dreams, are goals.
They are clear objectives, they have a destination, they are attainable, there are clear practical steps you must take to get there, and if you are dedicated, consistent, careful and proactive; you will.

Then there are the others.
They are fantasies, highly unlikely to come true, far-fetched, difficult even to contemplate, and yet you refuse to admit that they are never going to happen. Instead you spend hours daydreaming, planning what to do, preparing what to say, waiting patiently…

Some think that dreaming is a complete waste of energy. Instead of fantasising about a happy life for yourself, you could actually be doing something to attain one. Every moment spent imagining she is the one, is a moment lost in the search for her. Every warped belief that it “could one day happen” is merely unfair, misleading and deceptive to the real you, who sooner or later has to face the reality that it is never going to happen. (Of course for a ‘serious’ dreamer the suffering doesn’t end there either, because on facing this harsh truth, they are also obliged to re-evaluate each of their lifelong dreams and consequently - in light of this new reality - create a repertoire of new ones!)

Fortunately for me, there are many ‘serious’ dreamers out there; sincere, genuine, dedicated, determined, fantasists - for whom dreaming is essential to existence.
I say ‘fortunately’ because I happen to be one and am delighted to know that I am not alone.

You see, dreaming gives me something to look forward to, it’s the sun behind the clouds, a safety-blanket, a warm hug, and above all it is a white canvas: whilst my real world is a cage of boundaries, rules and regulations; in my daydreams I am free, unregimented, uninhibited and liberated.

The problem, as always, is where the two worlds collide…

In the collision, non-dreamers feel it their responsibility to re-educate dreamers into being more realistic and practical citizens; trying to persuade them that it’s all for their own good, and convince them that living in a dream world is bad for them; a source of constant disappointment.
Is it?
Does it really hurt to live in a dream world? Is life more disappointing for a dreamer? Or are there simply more enjoyable moments - real or reverie - between one disappointment and the next?
Does knowing that a dream won’t come true make it any less pleasurable? Isn’t that the whole point… to live in hope, or the bliss of ignorance?

Can we not just entertain the dreamers? What difference does it make? Ok, so we know it’s never going to happen, and we know that it isn’t the last we’ll hear of it, but what do we gain by popping their bubble?

So the next time your dreamer falls into their usual trance and whispers something about not going to the office tomorrow, picking up a camper van in the morning and travelling Spain, to find a crumbling castle desperate of renovation, and an idyllic vineyard to make flowing rivers of the finest vino tinto; take a deep breath. Smile. Don’t mention the fact that they don’t know their Cabernet from their Chardonnay. Don’t dare suggest that they learn the lingo and don’t utter a word about the economical and practical unfeasibility. You are wasting your time. A dreamer is a dreamer, and always will be. So just smile, play along and order Sangria… ;)
dw