About Mary

February 2012 - photo by MAG

September 2011

A little over a year ago, I began this blog as a means of “being the change” and encouraging my students to dream – and to write – but I wasn’t sure if I’d be able to maintain my own dreaming and/or writing.  I was nervous about “putting it all out there” for anyone to read, and I was worried that I’d lose interest in writing after the term was over.

A year later, I find that not only have I continued to write, but I’ve also continued to dream.   I still dream of moving to New York City [and I believe that some day I will], but I know it’s going to take at least another year [and possibly more] to do what I need to do to make the move a realistic endeavor.  However, as the result of blogging about this dream, I now have a host of new dreams to add to my list!

Blogging for the past year has shown me how important it is to set goals and work toward them, but the most important thing it’s taught me is that it’s never too late to dream big.

I hope you’ll join me as I embark on another year of working to make my dreams come true!

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August 2010

I am a 44-year-old college Humanities instructor who dreams of living in New York City.

Why blog about this experience?

First, over the past two years, I’ve written down more ideas, dreams and plans that I can begin to count, and many of these things have become reality for me.  For a while, I wondered how or why some things worked and others didn’t.  I finally traced it back to the fact that the dreams that have worked have been the ones that I’ve shared with others – even when those dreams seemed completely outlandish and unattainable – because (as I am constantly telling my students) in order to make changes, a person must first acknowledge what it is they want to change, and then they need to write it down. While there’s no guarantee that writing dreams down will make them come true, – that requires commitment, dedication, and a little bit of luck -  there is enormous power in the writing process.

Second, there is something comforting about being able to receive feedback and input from others and writing a blog offers this opportunity. I can’t think of a better place to ask all of the questions that are going to arise as I prepare to make this move, and I am hopeful that a few folks will read what I’m writing, and offer up their own experiences, mistakes, and/or advice. Then again, it might simply be that sharing experiences reinforces my faith in the power of human connection and bolsters my belief that when we share knowledge everyone benefits.

Finally, I decided to blog about this journey because for a long time I felt like I’d lost even the ability to dream.  I feel extraordinarily privileged to have so many people in my life who encourage and feed my dreams by simply believing that I can actually do anything.   They keep me awake and alive, and for that, I love them more than they will ever know.  And while I’ve been extremely fortunate to have a strong support network, I know that not everyone does.  So, for those folks out there who are dreaming, and need someone to believe in them and have faith in their dreams – I do.  I truly believe that together we can make our dreams come true.

Faith is the essential element, though, because asGeorge Lancaster Spalding said, “[l]ife without faith in something is too narrow a space to live.”

Dream with me, won’t you?