Sunday, October 3, 2010

Window Dreamin'

Written by: Katherine 'Ringleader' Imp

In 3rd grade, my teacher gave me a detention for staring out the window during class. That’s all I remember from the 3rd grade.
..........

In college, I met this lawyer guy. I asked him if I should take time off before attending law school. I don’t remember much of anything I learned in college, but I remember the answer to this question: “Picture yourself in, let’s say, a contracts class in law school. Are you looking at the professor or are you staring out the window?”

I planned a trip to Europe the very next day.
..........

When I graduated from college, I crammed 5 years of livin’ into 8 months of freedom. I knew that I wanted to go to law school, and I didn’t want to put it off, but I also didn’t want to spend 3 years and $100,000 to stare out the window.

So I took that advice to heart and dreamed like I was livin’ forever, and lived like I was dying tomorrow. I went to Europe. I led canoeing trips in the Everglades for delinquent kids. I danced at music festivals. I built homes for Hurricane Katrina victims and watched Barbara Streisand movies while couch surfing in Fairhope, Alabama. I dyed my hair purple. I lived out of my car. I hugged my dog.

And I didn’t stop there. How could I??? I had too many dreams!!! So I kept goin’ -- I traveled with my brother, with friends; hell, I traveled alone. I led a trail maintenance crew in Maine, I meditated in Sicily, I painted orange trees on an Italian organic farm and worked on a vineyard in the south of France. Shit I even slept on the floor of a cargo boat just so I could watch the sunset from Santorini.


And when law school orientation came around, I thought I was ready. Ready to be an adult. Ready to be serious. Ready to give back to a world that has given me so much joy.

And then I got to window dreamin’ again.

And I realized somethin’.

I DON’T HAVE TO CHOOSE. We don’t have to choose. I love the field of law, and I’m excited to have a career, but window dreamin’ is a part of who I am. And no matter how many times I, a teacher, or someone I know, tries to kick that from my system, it will always be a part of me.

And so I dreamed a new dream. And 3 years later I was standing on top of Katahdin.
..........

Now that I’m back home, I’ve got commitments and responsibilities like everyone else---commitments towards my friends, family, job, and creditors---but I’m still me. I’m still the girl who painted orange trees and slept on the floor of a cargo boat. And while this may be a sign that I’m finally grown up, it doesn’t mean that I’m going to stop being me.
..........

A month and a half after summiting “Big K”, I find myself on a plane headed to Florida on business. Starin’ out the window of aisle 18. Smiling. It’s time to dream a new dream.

11 comments:

  1. You found it! You're on the right path. Welcome to what real life can be. It's wonderful. I'm still very proud of you.

    ReplyDelete
  2. This is so you in a nutshell. Love it!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Kate... I'm so impressed with everything you've done and seen. You have such a bold spirit to follow your dreams as you have. I am glad there are people like you in the world.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Katie,
    I loved this post. Make sure you open the window so you can smell everything. But not on a plane. That would be bad.
    ;) Love, MommaD in Joisey

    ReplyDelete
  5. Stroking the ego...

    ReplyDelete
  6. If you keep living the dream only reality will hold you down
    Peter

    ReplyDelete
  7. Airplanes have rows of seats, arranged between one or two aisles.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Where's Lightening?

    ReplyDelete
  9. Lightning is finishing up her degree at UIC.

    Thanks everyone for all the comments!

    ReplyDelete
  10. This is so inspiring. I'm a Swedish 19-year-old and I have dreams. I found this blog after google-ing about the AT, which is one of the dreams I have at the moment. Just wanted to let you know that this particular post was true inspiration for me. Thank you!

    ReplyDelete