I’ve Always Been a Dreamer
I’ve always been a dreamer but I can’t explain why.
Maybe it’s that I grew up in the 80’s, when kids played outside, laid in the grass, stared up at the clouds gently gliding through the sky, and spent time wondering why we’re here, what life is all about, and wanting to make it worth it. Or maybe it’s all the stories I’ve read about characters with big ambitions, like Ramona Quimby, Age 8. Or maybe it’s that my grandparents were each creators in their own way — a poet and storyteller, a painter, a gardener — and they passed their make-something-out-of-nothing-ness down to me, helping me believe I am a creator too. Or maybe it’s that my parents believed in me with a ferocity that I still feel so strongly today.
It might be all of these things and more. Throw in Mr. Rogers and The Muppets, Cindi Lauper and Madonna, Star Wars and Back to the Future, The Real World and the AIDS epidemic, amazing teachers who let me explore but pushed my thinking. And then Reality Bites and alternative rock — Oasis and Garbage and Green Day and Alannis.
Did these people and places and things make me a dreamer? Or was I always a dreamer and so I found these people and places and things?
It’s a question I’m not sure can be answered BUT what I do know is that I am a dreamer and always have been.
On Thursday, November 21st, 1996, I was at The Modjeska in Milwaukee, Wisconsin to see the band Dishwalla. I was 16. I only know this because I still have the ticket stub, otherwise, I wouldn’t have been able to tell you how old I was or that it was in Milwaukee that I saw them. What I do remember clearly is that my friends and I made our way to the front of the mosh pit, sang at the top of our lungs, got to shake hands with the lead singer, and I was absolutely in the moment the entire time. We cheered when they started to play their song “Counting Blue Cars” and sang along and now that I’m 43, I can look back and see that I loved this song because I felt seen. It reminded me that there are other dreamers out there.
We said: Tell me all your thoughts on God 'Cause I'd really like to meet her And ask her why we're who we are Tell me all your thoughts on God 'Cause I'm on my way to see her So tell me am I very far, Am I very far now?
When it comes to being a dreamer, I wonder and worry but I also revel in the beauty of life. I recognize that we’re all here doing our best with the time we are given. I know there is so much potential in me and in everyone I meet; I have ideas and I want to make them happen and I want to amplify everyone else’s awesome as well.
It turns out that writing is how I do that.
Writing has been a constant in my life since I was 10 years old. It’s how I process ideas I have, how I try to make sense of the world, how I most love to share my thoughts with others.
I always wrote with my students when I was a hearing itinerant teacher, but I started actively writing for myself and others in 2011. I started leading writer’s workshops and coaching adult writers in 2019. Coincidentally, 2019 was when I made a shift into a classroom teaching position and I started writing with middle schoolers. Today, I teach 6th, 7th, and 8th grade Language Arts and continue to lead workshops and coach writers through Story Exploratory. To me, writing is personal and empowering and it is a total dream come true that I write and am surrounded by writers everyday.
I am a dreamer, and I know I’m not alone.
I have a hunch that if you’re reading this, you might be too. You see beauty. You see potential. You know life is precious. While none of us will live forever, our words can. I’d love to hear all your thoughts on life. I’d love to hear why you think we’re here. Tell me what is important to you. Tell me what you cherish. Tell me who you dedicate this song to.
Story Exploratory is about centering YOU the writer. My intention is to post here every Sunday. I’ll share my stories in the hopes that you feel confident to bravely face the blank page too and curate resources for writers that you might find useful. Connecting with other writers is an important part of living the life of a writer so I hope you’ll say hello in the comments. Story Exploratory is the community it is because of amazing writers like you.
If you’d like to write with me, you can find information on our Patreon community, monthly workshops, coaching and more at storyexploratory.com and you can also find me on Instagram at @storyexploratory.
We’re here, so let’s make the most of it.
Welcome to Story Exploratory and living the life of a writer!
We bring joy to writing. We are dreamers, make believers, hustlers and bustlers, who make time to write. We're open to unlocking the power of story inside each of us. We are a fun and funky, inclusive community. Our goal is for you to feel seen, loved, and inspired as a writer. We are Story Exploratory. Come in! Come in!