Tigers, Cobras, & Dreams
The path to fulfilling your dream can be long and rough!
For as long as I could grip a pencil, I’ve dreamed of becoming a writer. My earliest venture into writing was in the first grade, during a city-wide story competition organized by grade levels. My submission was a “book,” essentially 6 to 8 pages of printer paper, dedicated to my two favorite animals, a tiger and a cobra. The ingenious title I chose for my masterpiece was; “The Tiger and the Cobra’’. To accompany that gripping moniker, I complimented my story with illustrations, courtesy of Crayola. At age six, armed with endless self-confidence, freshly learned literary skills, and my artistic prowess, I was convinced that Dr. Seuss didn’t have shit on me! What I saw was an instant classic that deserved nothing less than first place! Every other first grader in the district might as well blow their nose into what they had written, as far as I was concerned. There wasn’t a doubt in my mind that after this stunning composition reached the intellects, and thinkers of the world, my name would be mentioned along with history’s masters of literature like John Steinbeck, Ernest Hemingway, and Harper Lee.
Imagine the gut punch I took when I was awarded a ribbon that said, “Honorable Mention”. The only reason they distribute these is because they’re not allowed to hand children ribbons that say, “You’re A Dumb Ass and You’ll Never Amount to Jack Shit’’. I was so upset that for the next two school years, when the competition returned, I submitted the same, damn story. Clearly, the judges just couldn’t recognize brilliance. “The Tiger and the Cobra” was destined for greatness! After all, Gone With the Wind faced rejection 38 times before it was published. I just needed the right person to see its incredible value. Sadly, it never found its champion. I don’t think my parents even bothered looking at it. Suffice it to say, “The Tiger and the Cobra” isn’t listed among the Newbery Medal winners.
Even though my first attempt at being an author didn’t allow me to move out of my parent’s house at age 6, buy a beach home, play with Legos, and eat peanut butter for the rest of my life, my love for writing remained.
Taking the safe path…
In high school, I took every English, Literature, and writing class that was offered. After I damn near caused my dad to have a stroke by graduating on time, I decided to see if I could get his head to explode by going to college! I continued to pursue my passion for writing, initially aiming for a degree in Journalism. However, 5 long years later, I graduated with a degree in Civil Engineering. What happened to Journalism? In short, I realized just how challenging the financial situation for writers fresh out of college can be! Opting for a steady paycheck over my love for writing was a practical choice. Do I regret it? The way I see it is, that I did what I had to do to get to a place where I can do what I want to do.
The idea behind that last statement is what made me write this article. Yes, I was led to take the safe path, but I didn’t shove my writing ideas and laptop into the closet next to my 5-year-old, still-in-the-box jogging shoes. I didn’t put it away at all. Whatever you daydreamed of doing before you were slapped upside the head by reality, please don’t ever let that go! Sometimes we have no other choice but to play it safe, and there is nothing wrong with that. However, don’t shelf your dream and wish it could have been. Do what you have to do so you can one day do what you want to do.
If you’re still reading this article, I am truly grateful and I thank you for taking the time. I’m not here in hopes of making millions. I’m here to learn, get better, do what I love, and hopefully make some new friends.
I hope my writing today is received better than my first attempt, and although I still believe, “The Tiger and the Cobra” could be a literary juggernaut, I promise not to subject any of my readers to it!
