| Do you remember how much fun it was in | | | | professional for a real opinion. |
| childhood, to pretend to be someone else? In the | | | | Find out what it takes to follow The Dream, and |
| 1950's, children played cowboys and Indians, | | | | do it (voice training works). Avoid friends and |
| doctor or nurse and patient, housewife and | | | | family, who may think you are so wonderful a |
| working husband-and kids. Yes, it was a simpler | | | | person that they don't want to hurt your feelings. |
| time back then and gender roles were set in | | | | They might think it marvelous that you want to |
| stone. Women stayed home and took care of | | | | follow your dream, but come on now-isn't it a bit |
| the house and kids while men went to work. If | | | | harsh to let you go make an absolute fool of |
| women held a job away from home, it was | | | | yourself in front of millions of judgmental |
| usually secretarial, cleaning, or childcare. | | | | viewers? |
| Those kids who really enjoyed playacting went on | | | | That old joke about Carnegie Hall holds the key: |
| to become actors, while most of us just went on | | | | practice, practice, practice...and "Get Real". That |
| to do whatever jobs we could get...or were told | | | | doesn't mean belting out rock ballads in your car |
| to get by guidance counselors and parents. How | | | | or for your stoned friends; it means go get some |
| many people heard the phrase: "Get a real job!" | | | | training and work at it. If one is born without the |
| and went into some field that brought them no | | | | particular talent they need to follow The Dream, |
| joy and no hope? Back then one had to be | | | | then one must go get the training needed. Don't |
| pretty talented to get that job they had dreamed | | | | be afraid to change your mind about your dream. |
| about, like acting, sports or music. | | | | Sometimes one discovers that The Dream is not |
| While some of the 'overnight sensations' happened | | | | so shiny once it is lived. Sometimes what you |
| because of being 'discovered', a lot of it had to do | | | | think is your passion turns out to be an idealized |
| with that Who You Know thing-and that hasn't | | | | dream you picked up from someone else. One of |
| changed. What did change was the way talent | | | | my colleagues went into medical school thinking |
| shows are conducted. American Idol and Britain | | | | she was going to deliver babies. When she |
| Has Talent are good examples of that. The public | | | | discovered the risks and usual late night hours, |
| thirst for ridicule has caused the untalented to be | | | | interruption of life, and toll lack of sleep takes, she |
| put on display, for millions of people to laugh at. | | | | changed her mind. |
| Some of those untalented people have refused to | | | | For myself, I have a string of degrees after my |
| give up their unrealistic dreams. The delusion | | | | name. While those initials I paid so much for are |
| shown makes good television apparently. But | | | | mostly medical, some of them are not. Sixteen |
| when one looks beyond the sadness of tuneless | | | | years of college, studying various professions, |
| singers telling Simon Cowell that he is wrong and | | | | showed me that my passion is three-fold: |
| that they actually have a fabulous voice, there | | | | medicine, art, and science. So what did I play at, |
| may be something deeper at work than just a | | | | as a child? Cowgirl, Doctor, and Mad Scientist. I |
| simple delusion. Perhaps those people, if they could | | | | think I see a pattern here. |
| come out of Ego for a bit, might be | | | | After some fifty-plus years of working at various |
| right...eventually. | | | | jobs and obtaining impressive initials to put after |
| Maybe those deluded people just need some | | | | my name, I am still working on figuring out what I |
| direction to follow The Dream. If they could take | | | | want to be when I grow up. After attending my |
| the raw criticism and use it to determine what | | | | 40th high school reunion, I realized that most of |
| they would need to do to accomplish The Dream, | | | | my classmates did indeed grow up and become |
| they might actually be able to move into that | | | | their parents. Somehow, that stability missed me |
| blessed state of talent. If the people they hang | | | | and I continue to move through different |
| out with tell them the tuneless noise they have | | | | experiences, following my ever-changing dream. |
| emitted is awesome, how could they believe | | | | So what do YOU want to be when you grow up? |
| otherwise? Word to the wise: go to an impartial | | | | ©2010 Dr. |