Sinatra_Z - How Dreams Die

When I was a young boy back in primary school students would have to fill in their information on a yellow academic card which is the size of an A4 paper. It is to be used as a record of our academic achievements throughout six years in primary school. One of the thing that I distinctively remember was that each year would fill in 3 answers as to what is our ambition"Cita-Cita Saya". 

Boys being boys the usual answer you get would be firemen, Doctor, Soldier,Fighter Pilot, Police, Adventurer, Sailor and sometimes things like Batman, Kesatria Baja Hitam or Ultraman. 

But then these boys will grow up and realised that it is not that easy to be what they wanted to be back then. For instance they realised that they are not that fit or just to lazy to exercise to be a firemen, Police payroll is too low, they hate mosquitoes and jungle thus ditching in becoming a soldier and opt for a job that has an air conditioner in it. 

Then these boys go into secondary school and a whole new world open. They realised that life is more than just about cool looking guns, uniforms and killing alien monsters that invade earth on a weekly basis. So you get answers like Musician, Lawyer, Inventor, Computer Programmer, Painter, Engineer, Architect and etc... It's the romantic thought that they want to create, build, design and do something interesting.

They dream of doing something great, building something big, experience something good or produce something beautiful. 

But then as they grow older some of them may come to the conclusion that they are not smart enough, not talented enough, pay is too low or the job market is not that good for that industry and pressure from parents or society. 

So they went to college and due to the restrictions of their grade, cash and other influences they opt for something more realistic. So they went into Business Studies, Marketing, Finance, Mechanical Engineering, Statistics, Human Resource, Foreign Language, Psychology and etc... 

But still they do dream of making something out of life using the path that is beyond them. Some are still dreaming of building something or making something which is similar to their childhood dream but most opt to dream about cars, cash and other material things. 

So they graduated but due to the economy, interviews or vacancies they again reroute their path to something no longer based by their dreams but by necessity to survive in this society. Some become white collared worker, some go into private sector and a small number may decide to be an entrepreneur or inherit their family business. This is where you get answers like Production Engineer, Insurance agent, district officer, immigration officer, marketing executive, systems administrator, office administrator, assistant auditor, bank teller or financial advisor. 

So now their dreams are no longer about being someone, making something, doing or experiencing. Instead now their dream merely focus on getting promoted to assistant manager before 30, getting 3 months bonus by the end of the year, achieving this months sales target, going home by 5.30, gather enough money to get married in one year's time or simply getting new rims for their car. 

And that is how most dreams die, 

 

A Slow and Quiet Death.