Our childhood dreams are often bigger than one can even begin to imagine. We are encouraged to dream big, reach for the stars and told that we can be whatever we want to be. Now, at 20 years old, I can’t help but wonder “what age did we stop dreaming?” What age do we stop reaching? Practicality is a rational notion to grasp but does it end up killing those youthful dreams we hoped to one day achieve? 

As a little girl, I remember the recurring question of “what do you want to be when you grow up? For as long as I can remember, my answer to that question was always “a professional dancer.” I developed from my small pink ballet slippers at age three to my ballerina pointe shoes by age 11 and there was never a time you wouldn’t see me dancing in the spotlight. 

5..6..7..8..Tombe pas de bourrée, glissade, grand jeté. (All my dancers out there can probably visualize this ballet combination.) 

Whether it was ballet, tap, jazz, hip-hop or acrobatics, dancing was such a prominent part of my life for nearly 13 years. I truly fell in love with the art of dance and performing in front of an audience. I spent a great deal of my childhood in the studio practicing on weekdays and traveling for dance competitions on the weekends.

When I started my freshman year of high school, it came time for me to hang up my tap shoes. I decided to quit my beloved sport because the time demand would not have allowed me to be involved in other extracurricular activities. I had to then ask myself again “what do I want to be when I grow up?”

High school graduation essentially turned those childhood dreams into a decision of choosing a field of study that would entail success in our future endeavors. Once I knew being a professional dancer was off the table, I was determined to figure a way to combine my passion of performing with a “practical” career choice since I was no longer a dancer. 

It seems that many of our childhood dreams amount to a sort of compromise for fulfillment. We do what needs to be done so that we are placed on a practical path to success. At the end of the day, we must not forget what our young selves once aspired to be. 

There is no shame in holding on to parts of those childhood dreams, having a backup plan, or being realistic. Do what’s best for you. Practicality only kills your dreams if you let it. 

I hope that this generation’s youth continues to dream. My 8-year-old nephew, Kenyon, seems to have his life all figured out. He excels in both academics and athletics; however, I am relieved to know that if his future NBA career doesn’t work out, his aspirations of being a lawyer are just as pertinent.