Dreams and dreamers

Sunset from the patio (it's okay to use a cellphone to take photos)
We had dinner last night, C.C. and I at the golf club with two friends -- I knew the woman year's ago, lost contact and have recently reconnected. I did not know her husband.

Dinner began with one of those miscommunications -- 'how about the Glencoe golf club, on the patio, watching the leaves and the sunset' she asked.

"Fabulous idea," I replied. "We'll meet you at the country club."

The Glencoe has two locations, a downtown club and a country club. I thought my reference to 'the country club' was relevant, except, when she heard, 'the country club', she thought I meant the Country Club which is an inner city golf club, not the golf club twenty minutes out of the city.

C.C. and I arrived on time, found a table on patio and sat and chatted. By the half hour, when they hadn't arrived, we were becoming concerned something had gone awry.

I didn't have their number with me, and cell phones are not allowed at the club. (Mine was tucked inside my purse, on silent.)

C.C. went inside to check with the membership desk, phoned and left a message at their house.

He returned to the table and I snuck a peak at my cellphone. Sure enough, there's a message.

I call.

She's laughing as she answers the phone.

They'd gone to the Country Club, had a drink, realized they'd left my cell no. at home and after waiting half an hour, decided they'd best go home.

Except, they're not members of that particular Country Club.

Neither are we.

Amidst great laughter and skulduggery they managed to exit. (They ran into a friend who is a member and put their bill on his tab.)

Eventually, we met up on the patio of the country club where we are members and had a delightful evening watching the leaves fall and the sun set.

This woman has a dream. It is big. It's altruistic. It's important.

On Saturday, C.C. and I spent several hours at a brainstorming session exploring ideas on how to make her dream a reality.

Not that she hasn't already put lots of concrete elements into place. She has.

For seven years she has nurtured an idea into a significant possibility of success.

But, she's come up against obstacles, bureaucratic tape, altruistic fatigue.

She's looking for external support, help, ideas to give her dream new growth, to give it fresh breath.

She's smart.

After seven years, she recognizes where she's stuck and is stepping out of her comfort zone to get new energy.

And still, she holds onto the dream. Still she continues to believe in its possibility.

It was a wonderful evening of exploring new ideas, getting to know each other and to drilling into possibility for the future.

C.C. has a background, a skillset, a history of making dreams like hers become reality.

As I sat and listened, watching the interplay between the man I love and a woman whom I greatly admire I was convinced.

Nothing happens by accident. Everything happens for a reason.

And sometimes, the only reason is for us to take hold of a dream so we too can live as dreamers do, amongst the stars, breathing life into the impossible.

This morning I am off to an early morning meeting to talk about another dream. This one touches me deeply. It's part of a dream I've had for a long time -- and one that gained momentum last night as well because in our conversation the realization was sparked that -- my dream has value. Has legs to stand and grow. My dream has great possibility -- as long as I continue to dream and continue to reach out beyond my comfort zone. As long as I continue to take action, to put in place the framework for success so that my dream can become my reality.

I know it can.

May your day be filled with dreams and dreamers. May you give fresh life to your dreams today.