I started voice lessons last week. It is an interesting experience just doing something for me, with no real goal in mind, but just because I enjoy it. Every little girl has dreams. My dream was to sing. My poor siblings have endured long hours of my harmonizing to any song playing on the radio. What I finally decided, once I decided not to get married, is that I have all of these dreams (not hundreds, but a few) and now is the time to live them out. I don’t imagine that I will ever be a famous vocalist nor do I plan on making a career out of it (dreams change over time), but to be able to record a CD just for me would be fantastic. So, I’m going for it. I sing my heart out in my little apartment over the garage (it has fabulous acoustics). And someday, in the relatively near future, I will record my first song. Over time, I hope to record a few.

The perfectionist in me struggles because I am not that good and I have to sing for this woman who is so very talented. I have to make funny noises and faces all in an effort to improve. I spent almost half the first lesson just laughing at myself. It feels good. It feels good to do something that takes work. It feels good to be courageous and know that I have a long, long way to go. It feels good to want something just for me, not to make me popular, not to make me successful, not to make me loved, but just for me.

So here’s my advice for the week…figure out what your dreams are and start living them. It is so worth the effort.