When I was young, I didn’t picture my life turning out the way that it has. I imagined lots of friends, travel, a cool apartment in NYC or SF. I hoped I would be a successful writer and become independently wealthy. I envisioned lots of encounters with sexy men. I was a terrified and lonely boy, so maybe my big dreams somehow gave balance to the reality I was living.
Maybe those dreams didn’t materialize exactly the way I imagined they would, but earlier I was thinking about how that lonely boy would react if someone told him how things would really turn out.
Maybe those dreams didn’t materialize exactly the way I imagined they would, but earlier I was thinking about how that lonely boy would react if someone told him how things would really turn out.
You’ll have your own apartment. Nothing fancy, and not in NYC or SF, but it’ll be just as good as the house you grew up in, and it’ll be yours.
You’ll have a computer, and that computer will give you access to all kinds of information. It’ll be like having a university library in your living room. You’ll also have an endless supply of books, movies, TV shows and lectures on all the subjects you’re interested in. And the images… Oh, my. Even if you don’t travel the world, you’ll get to see it. You’ll get to see all kinds of art. Every day. And the men… You’ll see countless men, beautiful young men, and many won’t have any clothes on. You’ll see them all the time.
You’ll be able to use the computer to write your books. And you’ll get to publish them. You won’t make any money, but some people will read your books and claim they like them.
You won’t be a world traveler, but you’ll visit a few places, and you’ll get to know Yosemite like the back of your hand.
You won’t have friends who live near, and you won’t have a parade of lovers in your bed. You won’t have a boyfriend. But you’ll know people from all over. Once again, thanks to the computer. They’ll know all about you. You won’t have to hide the way you do now. You’ll tell them and show them who you are every day, and they won’t go running in the other direction. They’ll like you for who you are, and you’ll like them. You’ll get out of bed looking forward to connecting with them.
All of that might sound pretty good to that terrified, lonely boy.
You’ll have a computer, and that computer will give you access to all kinds of information. It’ll be like having a university library in your living room. You’ll also have an endless supply of books, movies, TV shows and lectures on all the subjects you’re interested in. And the images… Oh, my. Even if you don’t travel the world, you’ll get to see it. You’ll get to see all kinds of art. Every day. And the men… You’ll see countless men, beautiful young men, and many won’t have any clothes on. You’ll see them all the time.
You’ll be able to use the computer to write your books. And you’ll get to publish them. You won’t make any money, but some people will read your books and claim they like them.
You won’t be a world traveler, but you’ll visit a few places, and you’ll get to know Yosemite like the back of your hand.
You won’t have friends who live near, and you won’t have a parade of lovers in your bed. You won’t have a boyfriend. But you’ll know people from all over. Once again, thanks to the computer. They’ll know all about you. You won’t have to hide the way you do now. You’ll tell them and show them who you are every day, and they won’t go running in the other direction. They’ll like you for who you are, and you’ll like them. You’ll get out of bed looking forward to connecting with them.
All of that might sound pretty good to that terrified, lonely boy.
Thanks for sharing your gratitude. When I was in high school in a North Georgia mill town and living with my mother's vicious borderline personality disorder in the 1970s, I dreamt the kinds of dreams you mentioned. At this point, I do not have a home like those I dreamt of. I live in the Philadelphia suburbs, don't travel much, and after seven years of graduate education and two master's degrees, I make very little money. Yet, your post reminds me to be grateful for the life that I do have. Thanks.
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