Funny thing, daydreams. They come along and ambush you when least expected. Sometimes, in the midst of activity, you pause a second and are suddenly whooshed away to unknown, unexpected realms.
Winters are an especially good time to be caught out. James didn’t know whether it was the grey sky outside as he sat with his second cup of coffee or the lace-like snowflakes beginning to fall. He found himself drifting away from his surroundings into dreaming where he would like to be and what he would like to do……
Copacabana Beach. Endless golden sands, surf gently rising, the bluest skies and seas. Two weeks with nothing to do but dream! And that glorious Brazilian samba music on a summer evening! If only he’d learned to play an instrument, he might have joined in an informal jazz session wearing his best tropical shirt and swaying in time to the music after several pina coladas…
The click of the letter box interrupted his reveries. Just more bills and junk mail, James thought, as he bent to pick them up. What a gulf between everyday life and summer dreams!
In the lounge, his eye alighted on the old piano in the corner, a reminder of when he had listened to his parents playing old standards. He’d loved listening and had often wished to tinkle the ivories himself.
As he sifted through the post, James’ eye fell upon the local adult learning brochure entitled, ‘It’s Never Too Late’. Intrigued, he flipped through the pages. A panorama of choices: Planning that Holiday, Portuguese, Piano for Adults. Everything he had been thinking about! The price didn’t look too bad or the days the courses were offered.
Sometimes, life requires courage. It isn’t enough to moan, sigh and then just drift back into old ways, thinking that adult learning is for other people and those with time on their hands. It is for those who have dreams too.
James picked up the phone and dialled the number, intending only to get some further details, as he explained, to realise a few dreams. The voice on the other end was welcoming and. Before he knew it, he had enrolled on the piano course. The receptionist’s words, ‘I’m sure you will enjoy it’, provoked a keen sense of anticipation.
A few weeks later, James found himself at Bishop’s Hill. As the electronic doors opened, like an enormous set of jaws ready to swallow him up, he wondered nervously what lay ahead. Had he made a mistake? Would he be any good? Was he making a fool of himself?
His reveries were interrupted by a voice he remembered. ‘You must be James. Welcome to the theatre of dreams!’ The smile was still there after his first lesson. ‘See you next week. Hope you enjoyed it!’
‘More than I thought I would’, James heard himself replying, ‘Everyone else felt the same.’
Suddenly, that jamming session on Copacabana Beach didn’t seem so far away…