DREAMS
1958, 16-year-old me dreaming of the future ( quite a blurry scanned image)
When I was a girl I dreamt of fame,
Wondered, how would I make my name.
But married young and had two babies
No more time to think of maybes.
Feed them, clothe them, not much money.
They grow so fast it is not funny.
Suddenly they’re leaving home
And you are once more left alone.
Older, greyer, getting slower
Does this mean your life is over?
No more goals to dream about,
Must not dance or sing or shout.
Must I sit and wait for death
Doing nothing, no more stress.
Watching TV, drinking coffee,
Water pot plants, nip of sherry.
In years gone by Grandma would sit
Within the family group and knit.
She’d nurse the baby, darn the socks,
Stir the veggies in the pots.
Accepted for her age and wisdom
Stays with family, loves her freedom.
No old folks home to end her days
Within the family group she stays.
![knitting-senior-woman-22986101[1]](https://pommepal.files.wordpress.com/2014/01/knitting-senior-woman-229861011.jpg)
Wait a minute this is now
Things have changed and oh how!
Families smaller, travelling further,
Use the phone to ask “how are you?”
Surf the net to get the latest,
Grandma’s wisdom so out-dated.
No more room or time or space
To care for Grandma at this pace.
![children-computer-25963847[1]](https://pommepal.files.wordpress.com/2014/01/children-computer-259638471.jpg)
But think about it, do not mourn
For days gone by before you’re born.
Grab the moment, you are free
No more constraints of family.
Travel, study, spread your wings,
New horizons all those things.
Keep your quest for new ambitions.
Don’t accept other’s conditions.
Time is precious do not waste it
What you want you can achieve it.
Have your dreams, set your goal.
Try new things, enrich your soul.
Life is short and getting shorter
Make it fun and full of laughter.
Older, greyer, getting slower
Does not mean my life is over.
********************************
During the big clean out prior to the garage sale I came across this poem, I wrote it way back around 1999, it had been pushed to the back of a drawer and forgotten about. I decided I would share it.
It reminded me of the early blogging post, “The resurrection of a dream” click on this link to find out how our adventures with Matilda started.
So my message is don’t ever give up on your dreams.
gypsy life 
I was feeling quite flat for about half that poem…the life began to get brighter! More like life is and want now that kids are young adults making their own way in the world. Some times even dear-old-dad does have a pearl of wisdom to which they cling. My dream….to become a better photographer…
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Yes I agree the poem does go down but then hopefully up. I enjoy looking at your posts, you have an eye for composition in your photography
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Love that poem. With the kids and their families living so far away, it’s easy to slip into that sad place. Your poem is inspiring and helps change the perspective to positive! So glad you shared. 🙂
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Thank you for that lovely comment and welcome to my world. I have popped across to “see” you and I will certainly be back to your place…
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Love this, Pauline. Very well written. And the photo of you is wonderful.
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Thanks Jane I hardly recognize myself from way back then… 🙂
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I think we can all say that. Your happy spirit still shines through. 🙂
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Thank you Jane
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What a learning curve life is and there are you, Jack and I, along with a lot of others still learning, boy you looked pretty good toox
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I agree we never stop learning do we…
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This is just wonderful. You’ve made my day! 😀
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Thanks Dianne I appreciate that comment from you.
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What a wonderful poem and it has such a positive ending. I love it, and also the photo of you. Beautiful! xx
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Thank you Sylvia, yes the dream lives on… 🙂
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This post is wonderful in every way the poem, picture and the photoes.
You are a beauty then and now.
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Thank you Jack that is a lovely comment
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I just love this, Pauline! My smile kept getting bigger and bigger as I read it. I just knew it would end with an active, traveling, fun, granny! 🙂
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Thanks Maddie for that lovely comment.
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This sums you up just perfectly and it is perfectly wonderful! I am sending it my family. I don’t need to say, YOU GO GIRL! You figured that out in 1999! Bravo~
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Thanks Cindy we are so lucky to be living in this day and age when women can choose their own path in life. At least in our countries, some still do not have their freedom in third world countries
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LOVED the poem & it’s thoughts!
“Too right!”
xx del
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Thanks Del
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Hi Pauline, Great message. Today we put a verandah on the back of the kids home in Cambodia. So much still to learn, body older but I believe in the saying….Age is a case of mind over matter, if you don’t mind it doesn’t matter. Yes let’s keep living our dream.
I have been trying so hard to learn the Cambodian (Khmer) language and to learn a new language at 60+ is a real challenge for the grey matter but a great way to create laughter! oops! oops!oops. Said goodbye instead of hello to the nice customs man at Siem Reap airport…sour face in return big big oops.
Yesterday I was talking to our biological son when wise old Titi….aged 7…heard me and said ” Good English Grandma” first time he had heard me talking “properly” not a combination of shortened English and very poor Khmer. Your Blog just cleared so many of my half thoughts , thanks Pauline, look forward to your next blog, they are all so different and thought provoking. Enjoy life to the fullest.
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So pleased to hear all is well in Cambodia, loved the saying “mind over matter… ” Hope you are getting good weather for the building.
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I am so pleased you shared it Pauline, And We Grannies have lots of Living to do yet. So keep on ‘Grabbing those moments’ For you are Freeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee! 🙂
have a great weekend
Sue
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Thanks Sue from one Gran to another, life can just get better if you take the time to live it… 🙂
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Hey look at you PP with that enigmatic smile 😉
You are so right PP … keep on dancing learning writing travelling …and connecting with people who share the same outlook 🙂
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That jacket was a very bright orange vinyl, the new wonder material of the 1950’s and with tight tartan pants I thought I was the bee’s knees. It was the era of rock n roll and Elvis. “Go cat go….” A great time to be a teenager, and that was a new word that was created to describe us. ( no colour film back then either)
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