This photo is of a young man chasing his dream. He is waiting to board a train to Indianapolis where he hopes to play baseball for the Indianapolis Clowns of the Negro League. His name? Henry Aaron.

We all have dreams. Some we dismiss as what Eugene O’Neill calls pipe dreams — dreams that won’t happen because we don’t have the skills or the wherewithal to pursue them. But many of us do not pursue dreams out of fear, mainly fear of failure. Sometimes, too, we are not willing to pay the price in pursuing those dreams.

Others of us are prevented by external forces from pursuing and achieving our dreams. Many of the people waiting for amnesty in Juarez Mexico are there because of a dream of a better life for themselves and their families. The pursuit of that dream is stymied by government red tape and political rhetoric.

The pursuit of a dream does not come without a price and does not occur in a vacuum. This scene from the film Rudy (the story of another dream) shows the impact the pursuit of a dream can have on those around the dreamer:

And yet if we are prevented from the opportunity to pursue a dream, the impact within can be profound as reflected in Langston Hughes’ poem Harlem:

What happens to a dream deferred?

      Does it dry up

      like a raisin in the sun?

      Or fester like a sore—

      And then run?

      Does it stink like rotten meat?

      Or crust and sugar over—

      like a syrupy sweet?

      Maybe it just sags

      like a heavy load.

Or does it explode?

We all love a good story about a dreamer and the achievement of his/her dream. Most of us don’t have that kind of story. But does that mean we shouldn’t dream? That we should be realists and accept our lot in life?

When I was 16 years old I had three dreams — to become a professional baseball player, to become an actor, or to become a Catholic priest. None of those dreams happened. But the energy of each dream enriched my life. I never lost my love of baseball and it has become a wonderful sharing with my children and grandchildren, all of whom know that Christmas often brings with it some new Boston Red Sox gear. I have done some acting here in El Paso, having portrayed such characters as Sherlock Holmes and Elwood P. Dowd of Harvey fame. I have a continued abiding interest in spiritual matters all of which has led to my publishing books and articles exploring spiritual issues. That richness has its roots in my dreams.

Yes, as Rudy’s father says, when we pursue a dream, there is a price tag, sometimes a heavy one. And, yes, as in my case, there may be many dreams we don’t achieve. But the energy from those dreams can enrich our journeys.

Henry Aaron became the greatest home run hitter of all time. It all started with the dream that young man pictured above carried in his heart. So let’s close by celebrating the culmination of that young man’s dreams when Henry surpassed Babe Ruth’s homerun record:

I hope you dare to dream!

REFLECTION: What has been your experience with dreams?