Just like Eko, I’d lay my head against the couch and dream
“I would love to have a dog,” I’d think. But an inevitable voice of doubt would shatter my musings. “Your apartment is too small for a dog,” it said. “You don’t have a good schedule for a dog,” it admonished. “Just wait for the right time,” it implored. I relented. I held on tightly to my dream of finding an adventurous pup to be my partner, but whenever I let that dream creep towards action I chided myself for thinking rashly. The time was not right. There were a few times I thought I saw the right time approaching, only to have life throw a wrench in my plans. I changed cities, I changed jobs and each change pushed me further from that idyllic “right time” when I would have a fenced yard and a schedule perfectly suited to raising a dog. Frustrated, I decided to think about what I would do if a dog was dropped on my doorstep and I had to take care of him. I worked out a theoretical schedule where I could cover most day-to-day stuff and have a friend/family member/dog walker cover other times. The schedule called for some tight-squeezes and sacrifices on my part, but it was doable. “Hey, it’s doable!” I realized. But not everything that’s doable should be done. It was certainly not the “right time” I patiently waited for. And I had to admit there were a few question marks about how I would make time to ensure my pup was always well cared for when I had to travel for work. I thought long and hard about whether I was ready to take on the responsibility of having a pet. I was ready to make the necessary sacrifices, but my circumstances were not what I hoped for. I was just about to once again shelve my dream when a new realization struck. If you wait, there will never be a right time. There will always be difficulties and challenges in life. The waves never stop rolling in. I realized the “right time” is not something you wait for, it is something you make for yourself when you’re ready. I made the decision to make it the right time. I traded my daydream Eko for a real one and it was one of the best decisions of my life.
Holding the daydream in my mind wasn’t nearly as good as holding the real deal in my arms
For the past year, I have carried another daydream with me. She does not have a name, but I know where she belongs. I have once again decided to make right now the right time. This summer Eko gets a little pup-sister! I have plenty of details to share in the coming weeks, but today I wanted to share this story in hopes of encouraging people to trade in those daydream pets for the real thing. Don’t wait for the right time, make it the right time!