Living In A Dream World?

Any of you know the song "A Dream Is A Wish Your Heart Makes"? It is the tune from Disney's "Cinderella". The song seems extra meaningful to me, as your heart makes a wish, and it becomes a dream, never to come true, or impossible for it to come true.

Maybe that is why dreams and reality often do not intersperse. In dreams, everything is sunny and beautiful and perfect, but in reality, there is more darkness and thunderstorms and cracks. However, dreams can become reality once they are achieved. That is what goal-setting is all about. Maybe that is what goals are – dreams that become reality.

So is it healthy to continue dreaming? Or to come down to Earth and be realistic? Most people are practical in that they choose the safe realistic route. But is the idealistic route really impossible?

In a dream world, there will be no wars. Everyone lives in peace. There will be lots of greenery and no natural disasters, no smog and global warming. There will be natural fresh water and lots of food daily for everyone, no matter what country.

In a dream world, everyone will meet someone they love, marry each other, have beautiful kids, and live happily ever after. Everyone’s parents will love them so much, support and encourage them in what they do, even if the parents do not approve of what they do.

In a dream world, everyone will study the course they love, get the job they love and earn income according to their contributions and workload. Everyone will work normal office hours and go home to a warm family, enjoying the bliss of both a job they are passionate for and a family they love.

In a dream world, everyone will be nice and kind to everyone else, being considerate and true to each other, being honest and down-to-earth.

Unfortunately, we are not living in a dream world. In reality, there are more wars than peace. There is not enough food for everyone. The distribution of riches and food are sadly misappropriate, with some countries having an abundance and other countries having almost none at all.

In reality, trees and rivers get cut down and polluted for industrial purposes, with the beauty of the natural environment being spoilt and overused.

In reality, one does not find a mate so easily, and even if one does, shall one marry the one you love but does not love you that much, or marry the one who truly loves you but whom you have not much feelings for?

In reality, starting a family is not so easy. There are factors to consider like housing, education, activities, time and commitment. Which explains why so many couples choose not to have any kids.

In reality, people do not get what they want all the time. They may be overlooked for the course they like, not chosen for the job they love, and settled for something else.

In reality, people are like slaves, overworked and underpaid, and going home to a house where everyone shouts at everyone else.

In reality, people are selfish, self-centred, inconsiderate and boorish, thinking only of their own benefits without giving concern to others.

Is it only still me that lives in a dream world, where everyone is still nice and kind? Or shall I start to lose faith in humanity where I can only expect disappointment after disappointment?

Shall one be with the one whom he / she loves, or the one who loves him / her? Shall one wait for true love, or settle for just anyone he / she can get along with?

Shall one expect honesty and gratitude from others? In reality, if one lends cash to others, the cash is often than not a “gone case”.

Just like when I banked into the wrong account instead of the right one, I may not be able to get back my cash as people may not be honest or bothered enough to report the error.

So shall I become more practical and realistic? Or continue to dream, even if my dreams can never come true?

Somehow this song came into my mind, which reflects just how I feel about life and humanity now.

I Dreamed A Dream (Fantine – Les Miserables)

There was a time when men were kind,
And their voice were soft,
And their words inviting.

There was a time when love was blind,
And the world was a song,
And the song exciting.

There was a time when it all went wrong ….

I dreamed a dream in time gone by,
Where hope was high and life, worth living.
I dreamed that love would never die,
I dreamed that God would be forgiving.

Then I was young and unafraid,
And dreams were made and used and wasted.
There was no ransom to be paid,
No song unsung, no wine, untasted.

But the tigers come at night,
With their voices soft as thunder,
As they tear your hope apart,
And they turn your dream to shame…..

He slept a summer by my side,
He filled my days with endless wonder …
He took my childhood in his stride,
But he was gone when autumn came!

And still I dream he’ll come to me,
That we will live the years together,
But there are dreams that cannot be,
And there are storms we cannot weather!

I had a dream my life would be
So different from this hell I’m living,
So different now from what it seemed ….
Now life has killed the dream I dreamed ….

So will my dreams ever come true? Who knows? Perhaps I shall set the famous five-year goal, on what I wish to achieve in five years time, a favourite question in almost every interview I went for :

1. Get the job by the big company, and hopefully rise up to managerial level.

2. Pass my driving test and afford to own a Toyota Lexus, Mitsubishi Colt or Volkswagon Beetle.

3. A penthouse at the new fifty-storey public housing, The Pinnacle @ Duxton, the tallest government condominium-like flats.

4. Get my first-class honours, and proceed to Masters and hopefully PhD in either English Literature or Mass Communications.

5. Complete my voice lessons to professional level.

6. Pick up a new instrument, either Violin or Flute. (Then maybe hopefully I can afford to get a Stradivarius violin.)

7. Master at least two new languages.

8. Slim down and remain at 44 kg with a 23-inch waist.

9. Get married to the one I truly love and who truly loves me, have my dream wedding on my dream date, start a family and live happily ever after.

10. Travel to at least half the places in the world, or make that a quarter at least.

Looks like I am still living in a dream world, with dreams that seem almost impossible to come true.