By: LPJ
My grandson Eliott told me he and his parents were going to see Man of La Mancha at an outdoor theater in the East Bay, California. Immediately, I started to sing “To Dream the impossible dream”. Then, I said, that’s Don Quixote’s theme song of hopeful determination, in a saga of chivalrous pursuit of decency, imagined royalty and love.
And then I said, watch for Sancho, his faithful squire or assistant, the necessary catalyst to the precarious journey between reality and illusion on the fringes of insanity. And then, I hummed to myself the Don’s poignant tribute to his lady “Dulcinea”.
I love the Don Quixote quixotic epic of heroism, honor and faith, a celebrated Renaissance masterpiece by Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra. I wished I had gone to see the musical, too. Though I’ve read the book and heard so many times the music with its moving and emotion-ridden lyrics, it would be nice to watch the drama unfold on stage.
To dream the impossible dream has been on my mind lately. Not exactly in the same context and scenario as Don Quixote’s. But mainly, as an instinctive grab for inspiration in a venture I’m presently engaged in.
That’s my song right now, in the beginning stage of an ambitious project I can’t seem to find a good start for, or rather, a fresh “re-touch”. The truth is. I thought the project was done, a complete book proposal, only to receive from a professional critic in LA sharp and to-the-point feedback that calls for major revisions. The critique somewhat dampened my hopes. I thought my proposal could wing it. Not in its present form, I found out. Considerable changes and improvements are needed. Overwhelming. Challenging criticism, but well-meant and definitely helpful. A sliver of a blight to my passion for creative expression, but certainly instructive and motivating. The bottom line is, encouragement came plenty, with remarkable highlights of the positives in my story, enough for me to staunchly pursue my project.
I hadn’t blogged on Babyboomerlola site for a while, as I focus on my project. Funny, that as I slip into into the creases of my creative fabric, I turn to my BBL site to yell out frustration. But, wait a minute – didn’t Don Quixote insist on reaching for the unreachable star? So why can’t I? With hard work and persistence, I know … the star isn’t all that unreachable.
I’m still singing “To dream the impossible dream” as I struggle with morphing my ideas into workable lines that strengthen the story for a compelling read. It’s a process, and I’ll keep singing that song till I reach my star. Then I pray, reminded that with God, nothing is impossible. Maybe I can reach my star, touch it – even hold it firm in my grasp so it won’t whisk away.
You, too, can pursue your dream, even if it seems impossible. You can reach for your star.