Awake to our dreams

MANY young people are today encouraged to follow their dreams as Tom Boyd did so passionately (“Why I walked away”, SHS, 22/12).

While the stress, pressures and expectations of AFL “brought on crippling anxiety”, his honesty, strength and sensitivity should be appreciated not only by people playing football at the elite level.

Perhaps what’s pertinent in his courageous story is that entertaining a dream in one’s youth can be based on idealistic, ignorant and naïve fantasy, without practical knowledge, understanding and awareness of what’s involved in making that dream come true. Often one can entertain only a superficial, if not simplistic, sense of one’s aspiration, without any cognisance of the pervasive demands and substance of the reality.

Youth can be a time and opportunity for self-discovery.

Certainly, dreams should be inspirational, but at the same time it seems imperative to acknowledge their nature.