Man, again, this just calls out to me. Especially the envy part...I'm terribly susceptible to envy....

If nothing else, one thing's for sure: two different people may reach their destinations years apart, but the person who fought and worked for what s/he had will have a lot more to show for it when all's said and done.

I see my daughter in that picture. As for me I have the dreams of my youth and they are not forgotten. Time may take its toll and really crowd me from all sides, but I'll not let go of those dreams. They may come true around the next corner of life. I don’t have to see her face to know she is dressed for determination and success.

I think everyone feels that way to so extent... When we were young, we knew exactly what we were going to do... it was so simple...

Put the first time you come to a crossroad, you realize you don't have a map.. and none of the streets are labeled.

Yes, I wanted to be John Lennon., say what you want aobut him, he at least tried to change the world...

Spelling:
Forefil should be fulfill

Reaction:
As for the subject matter, I turned from that path a long time ago due to a lack of talent/skill. Alas, I don't like the things I'm good at and I'm not good at the things I like. Plus I fear that if I was forced to do anything, I would grow to hate it and I would lose what I love. So instead I chose to do something I didn't really like and I do indeed have regrets and wonder if I should have taken a different path. I don't know though.

I guess, for me, it's more a feeling that I'm wasting my life... that I was meant to do great things but am not, that I have nothing to show for my life and in the blink of the eye I'll be an old man with only regrets. Not really comfortable with the idea of getting old, but who is? I guess I feel human life spans are far, far too short, a mockery of what the world has to offer.

Honest critique of the writing:
I think you tried to make this too broad and have too many hedges and generalizations when you already have plenty of examples. Stuff like "anything", "(both physical and/or mental)", "wealth and/or education", "Could be anything.". I think you could tighten this text up a lot and get more power out of it. Rambling in writing is not always a bad thing, but I think you could serve your purpose better by keeping this a bit more simple and personal.

That's the way I feel too.... I'm getting older, and thought when I did, more opportunities would open up and I could be doing what I really want instead of slaving away in any old job for not much money.... but it seems like the doors keep shutting and all I do is get older in this unaccomplished life.

some days i wish i was a princess too :3

Urrgh....that description's harsh....

Great pic and description!

very beautiful picture and great story to go with it

There was so much I wanted to be when I was a kid. I always swore to myself that I would break free of all the ordinary day-to-day drudgery, and the same, small, ordinary lives that everyone gets forced into of working and paying bills and scraping by as best they can. It was arrogant of me, I know. Children are the most arrogant people on the face of the planet, though that's not really their fault. That's just being a child. I guess maybe I still am arrogant. I don't want to put down other people or their dreams. I think everybody believes that they're going to be the exception to the rules. But I thought I'd do so much more. I wanted excitement and adventure, and to be able to travel all over the earth doing good things and helping people. I was that little girl sitting there on her bed, dreaming of becoming someone much more.

Still, I don't regret my life, or what I've done with it. I don't want anyone to think that. And I believe that dreams are necessary, even if they're never reached. Maybe you won't grow up to be the princess you see in the poster on your wall. Maybe you won't ever be the mighty hero. But you can take inspiration from them, and strive to live up to those ideals as best you can. And, as I'm constantly reminded, life isn't over as long as you're still breathing. I know it's probably naive of me. I'm reminded of that all the time, too. But as long as you're alive, there's still the chance that you can make your dreams come true after all.

Artwork:

I like how you made the dream (the poster) literally much bigger and more colorful than life (the child). The perspective is also nice, having the dream being above. Also subtly suggests it might be out of reach because the difference is so vast.

Well, there's still some remote chance I might achieve my dream, but it's looking rather unlikely at this point. I'm just going to keep doing what I can, and hope that I'll have the opportunity to accomplish my dream. Of course, as I've grown I've found other things to also wish for, some even less likely to happen.

Dreams change, people do too, but I think if you really want something then you'll stick at it no matter what, no matter how rocky the path, or how long the road. It's inspiring to look back at old notebooks and those "Letter to My future self" things my teachers made me do and see how far I've come in achieving the dreams I have, wondering if my younger self would be happy with where I am. Still, I'm never going to give up on my dreams so long as I continue to have fun working towards them.

I have never given up on my dream. In fact, I may be taking my first step to actually accomplishing that dream in the springtime.

I have often despaired, I have often contemplated giving up, but always I was simply too stubborn to quit. Why? I really don't know. Maybe I was so blinded by pain that I couldn't see that it was hopeless, so I fought on to a bewildering victory. Maybe it was sheer dumb luck. All I know is that I'm closer now than ever before. I'm on the right path, and I know my next step. And the one after that.

Failure is not an option for me anymore. I've got too much at stake now to give up.

I will give a quote which has always stuck with me, though:

"He fears his fate too much, and all his gains are small...
Who will not put it to the touch, to win or lose it all"

Yeah... as a kid they tell you can grow up to be anything you want to be. Then you grow up and realize it's a big fat lie.

Yep, not yet there but well on my way. Definitely have hit a few potholes along the way though, heh.

I want to be a writer. I have always wanted to. There's a Writing Course at a university I want to attend, I went to talk there on an Open day. My dad was sitting in the seat in front of me and as the lecturer said 'I'm sure a lot of parents think this won't lead to anything for your kids,' my dad nodded his head. I felt like I'd been knocked to the ground.

I have friends who want to do different things; one wants to go into real estate, one wants to be a teacher, and sometimes I envy them and think 'Why can't I want that? Why can't I just want to be a teacher?' But I don't; I want to be a writer. So even though people doubt me, even though it's not easy, I'm doing what I want. Because that's all I can do.

I hope you don't mind my butting in here, but the world needs writers. It needs artists and dreamers and people who can keep art and dreams alive. I'm like you. I've always wanted to be a writer, and to tell stories. I'm lucky enough to have a family who understands and is supportive of that, and I wish everyone who wanted to create could have the same. Teaching is a fine thing, and the world needs practical people, too. But what nobody ever seems to think about is how much sadder the world would be if we didn't have our art. Think how much more bleak our lives would be if we didn't have books and music and stories to keep us going? So, for what it's worth, I think being a writer is a wonderful ambition. And whether you make it big or not, you can do more to help the world than many people ever think.

Velofox is right. I'm a writer too, and I'm in a writing course. As much as it seems difficult to get your story out there, there is always someone willing to show your story to the masses. My parents think the same with this, that It will never lead anywhere, but you never know, our stories may be the next harry potters or lord of the rings!

Hehe, cute.

As always, great story and pic. My POV on it: I understand, but disagree with the fourth paragraph. Not completely, but I would clarify it some:

People see others who are near the goal and don't know what went into them getting to where they are. They see others progress and think it must have been easy for them.

It seems easy upon first impression. Closer inspection reveals what people had to do to get to where they are.

I'm not discounting that there are those who have had it easier than others due to wealth, intellect, situation, luck or whatever. But people always seem to assume someone who is succeeding had it easier than it is for them.

As a kid the world is a wide open place for you to conquer and bend to your will. As you grow up and are introduced to the cruelties and reality of the world, your perception changes from "change the world to fit your desires", to "change your desires to fit the world".

It's sad, but it is reality. Not everyone can be the football star, movie star, astronaut, etc. But, everyone can change the world. Have you ever had a teacher who was so influential in your life as to turn you toward a career path? How about someone who through just one intervention caused your life to change, for better or worse? All of these types of people changed the world, if only a small part of it.

Life is all about opportunities, and they are not evenly distributed. Many uncontrollable variables can help or hinder you. If you were born into an affluent family, you have more doors open to you than an intercity welfare family. If you are brilliant, acing all of your AP tests, you're more likely to have opportunities than someone who struggles through basic classes. Most of us have to work harder/study more/ do things we don't want to, to get the same chances others get.

If you want something, you can try for it, but it could be much harder to get than for someone else. That's why many of us settle. What's worse: People who may be "coasting" into the position you want may not happy about it, because they weren't able to get what they want, and they're settling.

I leave on the advice I was given at age seven: "Life's not fair kid, deal with it." It took me a long time to really appreciate that advice, and though harsh, I'm glad I was told this.

Many of my dreams will never come to fruition. Only one is possible and it involves the girl i love spending the rest of her life with me! But even then that might not happen.
*Sighs and my ears droop*

I know this all too well. Their are just some wishes that will forever go unfulfilled, no matter how much effort or time is put into it.

Git er done. :V

i would love a costume like hers.

I'm torn once again, which is better, the picture or the caption or story. Allow me please to share something of my own childhood that continues to drive me today. A long, long time ago, longer now than it should be in some respects, there was this television program called the Storyteller. Jim Henson's creature shop provided the monsters for this show and I think Jim introduced some of the tales that were shown. I can remember being much younger than I am now and hearing the intro time and again and being entranced. One line from that intro still drives me today: "And the best seat at the fire was reserved for the Storyteller." In me it struck a chord and I decided then that I wanted to be a storyteller. It's a dream I am pursuing even now. Every story I post here and at SoFurry goes towards that dream. My desire to be published is part of that dream There are a lot of times I question my decision to go to work but I still do it. Why? Because it earns me money to keep living and writing so I can post stories. To a degree I have achieved my dream, people follow me here on FA and SoFurry just to read the stories I tell. But even by achieving the dream at that level the pursuit never ends. I keep writing stories to post and will do so until the day I die. If I never become rich from my work the knowledge that I am entertaining others with my tales is enough to keep me going. I am a storyteller and take pride in my work. Every illustrator and author is also a storyteller. You may not think our stories are any good but each time you read a story you let an author tell his tale. Everytime you read a comic book you listen to someone's story with your mind. This whole site of FA is full of stories. Some of us find certain types of stories more pleasurable to experience than others but we come together as a community here and entertain each others. May all the gods and spirits bless and keep us as well as keep us inspired.

I was just your stereotypical nerdy kid, with big glasses and awkward movements and the desire to be an astronaut... from growing up on star trek. Reruns of the original, then TNG, DS9... ive seen every episode of everything star trek. I knew even then it was a long shot, that the technology for interstellar travel probably won't be invented in my lifetime... but the dream never died. Ever since I've been a bit of an astronomy buff... I follow all the latest discoveries, especially exoplanets we might someday visit.

As a teenager, I took on the more practical idea of being a scientist, working in a lab someday. I even had a chemestry set and played at being a mad scientist. (I almost got away with cutting a secret hole in the ceiling of my room's closet to the attic to make a secret lab...)

For college, I chose mechanical engineering because it seemed a versatile skillbase to end up working with cutting edge technology of some kind... hopefully some breakthrough like warp drive.

Now, my college classes to be an engineer are nearly complete. I'm at that grand crossroads of finding one's first job and a career direction and feeling lost at sea. But, in my confusion i now have alternative dreams... being a famous sci-fi writer and making something as inspiring as star trek was for me... living close to nature in a rustic village with my friends... I have no idea where I'll end up, and wonder what might have happened had I studied something else... biology, perhaps or astronomy. Should I have been an astronomer? Or a mad geneticist working to invent the way to become our fursonas IRL?

All I know is I'd rather try to do something awesome, and end up with a mediocre life if all else fails, than to accept a mediocre life from the get-go.

Hmm. I can't really remember a set goal I wished to achieve when I was young. There were ideas, but either I didn't like them a little time later when I knew more, or the want to pursue it dissipated over time. Or I've simply forgotten now.

Nowadays I lack motivation to pursue things, but I also lack an overall goal. It's more of a "stay happy", "hurt friend less", "lose weight", "beat this game"... Simple little things that don't actually lead anywhere but makes me smile when I step just a little closer to them.
Then there's the slightly larger "finish this project" flavoured ones (usually artistic), that just... Don't happen, because I lose interest.

There's no rugged or smooth path for me to follow. There's a wilderness of pretty flowers and stinging nettles to fumble through, occasionally a short stretch cleared by someone else... But to continue, it's just further into the woods. I once had a light leading me towards something in there, but then she disappeared and it no longer mattered to me whether or not I kept going in that direction. I'm lost, but I like the surroundings. Sadly the demand for money won't let me stay.

I really didn´t have a dream like that you described, mainly cause I spent all my childhood reading books, I really wanted to live those adventures. Maybe at a some age I got this dream of beign an artist as Vincent Van Gogh, but due to the lack of sutility of my parents (they told me I sucked at drawing) I just dropped that one, stopped drawing for about 5 years... I started drawing again after I had my son (I was 18 years old) and a little after that I discovered furry art. Now I love drawing and I want to make a career out of it but I think that´s quite unprobable so I decided to study to be a math teacher, not my true vocation, but a good way to get the money I need to live (and I choose how much I want to work)...

I remember when I was a kid, I wanted to be a superhero...

Unfortunately, When I tried to fly after tying a cape to my neck, I fell down and crashed hard on my neck...

I spent my childhood stuck in a wheelchair as a result.

Then I decided to become an evil genius, I first started out by trying to learn how to make explosives.

That did not end well, Now I'm just a brain in a jar...

==========

I'm just kidding with you....This picture really does appeal to me in a serious way, I'll describe it another time.

We all wish to be something we are not, and are sure we will never be. Isn't that why most people, even you, are a furry? Because deep down, if you could be an anthropomorphic version of the animal you envision, would you take that chance?

Some won't and some will. Those that won't have grown out of their childhoods completely but still remember the nostalgic moments brought by it, desperately trying to relive those moments again. Those that would live in the worlds of fantasy and reality at the same time, hoping that one day their fantasy will become a reality, and vice versa.

I just think that everyone needs to be a kid once in a while, and an adult. But if anything, just be you. Because it doesn't matter what kind of you you are, there is no greater joy then living the life you want to live, regardless of how intangible it can be at times.

To stay with your metaphors, I always try and hang around near forks or junctions. I believe channelling all your efforts into trying to reach a single, big goal is quite dangerous for your own sanity, since setbacks can easily completely throw your off track. Especially when you're young you should imo always ponder options and keep alternatives open and ready for yourself in case you fail your current goal (I'd guess most here are still in their tweens, at that age you still have close to all options available). There's no way to know what you can really do until you mastered a skill/career/whatev, we're all bound to run into a couple dead-ends and then have to go back to the last fork in the path.

Pondering your goals is important, not only whether they are in reach but also whether they are even worth reaching. Especially when we work towards a career goal, we often learn along that path that the end of the road is not all what we imagined it to be.

I know all too well how this sort of shit works. Everything was going great for me right up to about the end of high school and then... Basically all fell apart at once. And just about everything I've tried to do since then has also failed for reasons I can't fully control (if at all). It all feeds into a sense that no matter what I do it'll just be a waste of time.

To borrow your metaphor for a bit, I was basically one of those people cruising along on a bike at full speed. And then I hit a rock...

I always wanted to be a writer. I love writing and I love making people smile with what I write. Sure this is still an option but for now, I am studying to be a psychologist.... or an anthropologist....... with each day anthropology is looking more and more awesome.

Maybe you know how much I've been yearning to hear that from someone who has nothing to do with me and has absolutely no interest of not hurting me or taking care of me. I've been telling myself "take your time", "what's your rush?", "why run so much?". But at the same time, I feel like I'm sabotaging all of my chances of going forth.

That's what happens when you think you don't deserve what you got.

I never got to walk on the moon like I dreamed of growing up and things never seemed to go the way I planed, but dreams rarely survive the hard truth of reality. Somewhere down the line you realize its not what you don't have that makes you happy, its what you do. I have a mate who loves me and I'd gladly trade the chance to acheave a childhood dream just to spend one more moment with her, the moon is a lonely place after all.