Dream BIG!

Well, I’ll Have Another… fantastic race!

Yep, our hero from a previous post, I’ll Have Another, checked off another victory.

I’m pretty sure that some of the folks around him are dreaming BIG right now… Triple Crown BIG.

Okay, I’ll admit it – I can get pretty obsessed with horse racing. I’ve been that way for as long as I can remember. In fact, back in the day, when other girls were dreaming of Donny Osmond, David Cassidy, and Michael Jackson, I was dreaming of Secretariat. And I could rattle off the bloodlines of the major contenders faster than a nicotine-stained bookie.

Once when my family was vacationing in Miami, I saw Kentucky Derby winner Foolish Pleasure breezing at Hialeah Racetrack, and I nearly fainted – Beatles groupie style.

Back then, one of my BIG dreams was to be a jockey. Of course, my body had other plans, as it ratcheted up beyond 5’8”.

So, is it any wonder that I became a writer? John Steinbeck once said, “The profession of book writing makes horse racing seem like a stable, solid business.”

Yeah, the writing life was another BIG dream of mine.

And I am a BIG dream believer.

I think that if you write for children, you’ve got to be. After all, most kids will not miss a beat when asked about their BIG dreams…

“Someday, I’m gonna build the first ice cream stand… on the MOON!”

“I’m going to create the world’s first sanctuary… for dragons!”

“I’m going to build a flying bicycle so I can keep track of my unicorn herd – they’re pretty shy, you know.”

Ah, kids – such BIG dreamers… and so incredibly, amazingly, wonderfully unrealistic!

But are they?

I’ve read quite a few biographies in my day, and one thing that always smacks me right between the eyes is that every single “great” person seemed to dream BIG well into adulthood.

Take Bill Gates, for example. In one interview he talked about the BIG dream he had… That one day there would be a personal computer for every desk. Considering that the smallest computer at that time was bigger than a refrigerator – that was a mighty BIG dream!

Today Bill still dreams BIG like a kid. In fact, from what I’ve read, I’m pretty sure he’s going for his own Triple Crown – as in, every single child has (1) good health, (2) a great education, and (3) a peaceful world.

Now that’s one BIG… and BEAUTIFUL Triple Crown!

.

PROMPT: What were your BIG dreams as a kid? These are terrific writing fodder. If you’re working on a novel, what are the BIG dreams of your main characters? Answering this is a great way to get to know them better.

What is your BIG dream today? Got it? Okay, now say “I’ll Have Another” and list out BIG dream #2. Then list yet another, to create your own BIG and BEAUTIFUL Triple Crown!

Sweet Dreams!