Dreams.

When I was a child growing up, I dreamed in becoming a professional basketball player. Michael Jordan was a God to me, I remember wearing his jersey every day, even wearing it under my church clothes. I held on to that dream probably until fourth grade, and then I let it go. It seemed with Jordan's retirement, I let go with basketball itself. He came back three years later, but in that time I still did not love the sport like I did as a seven year old.

After that, I started realizing I had a head on my shoulders. I guess that's why I saw fourth grade as a bit of a turning point. Less physical, more mental building (ironically fourth and fifth grade was a period of growth spurt!). I always knew I was bright, I just thought I was better at playing basketball than anything else, and not that my game was anything to sneeze at, I was pretty darn good. It's the fact that I've been playing basketball since the age of four that keeps me a solid player even now when I don't play. But I realized I had a mind that could take me places exponentially farther than what my skinny frame and short stature could take me in the basketball realm. I would keep that in mind, but still play for fun and for recreation, joining Vallejo Middle School's basketball team in 7th and 8th grade. In fact, our team won the 7th grade division when we were that grade! Fun times...

Getting into high school, I didn't find a subject that I really felt passionate about until 12th grade. Up until that point, I would go crazy going back and forth thinking about what I could become, College majors and stuff. I found out I was a solid overall student. I was a solid essay writer, great math student, blind science student, great history student, active in leadership and student government, played sports. Note that I say "blind science student". I did not see the importance of science until I took physics. Well, I see everything differenty because of physics. But that is a subject for a future blog entry, and will probably be a blog to remember, when I get around to it. But I digress...

I bounced back and forth about what I should get myself into. Accountant stuck for a few weeks. Psychologist for years. Then Psychiatrist. Then Politician possibly. Author perhaps. I thought I was really going to get my MBA and go into Business. Then finally, I thought I was stuck on becoming a doctor. And I really thought I was going to be that until I found good old physics. Now I am committed to becoming a Mechanical Engineer, I love that stuff!

Now I thought it was ironic for me to land on being an engineer, when my father was the one who initially pushed me to become one, even at a young age. He's the one who dragged me out of the house all day to sit around and work on the car. He's the one who would bring me to his work to watch him hammer, nail-gun, skillsaw plywood together to construct additions to houses. And I didn't bat an eyelash. I dismissed ever going into engineering at a young age. But look at me now, haha

I believe in dreams, I believe in realizing what you are good at and what you are passionate about and following it hard until you grow old. I believe that if everyone loved their job, then they would do their job to the best of their abilities, and the world would be a better place. It is only when people who do things for the money do you get people doing crappy efforts. That's why I disagree with guys saying they want to become a nurse because it pays good, and kind of lose respect for them. It shows that they are choosing things for monetary reasons, not for more substantial factors such as trying to make a difference in life, or for the love of their profession. I think that is disappointing.


So kids, it does sound cliche, but follow your dreams, and never stop in doing so.