As the title says, “Life is But a Dream”. I am expressing how thankful I am towards all the happenings of life which has lead up to this post. Today I received a hefty box of 2,000 stickers in the mail from DieCutStickers.com containing artwork done by Ryan Leary, a friend of mine, who created Rad Wagon Design.
What does this have to do with a dream? Well I feel like life is a mysterious journey we are lucky to wake up to every day not knowing what that day will bring or you may be able to add to it. When I was a child I never knew I’d wake up one Winter morning and find ski equipment under the Christmas tree. Nor did I ever expect that my Mother would be introducing me to a world of outdoor fun and adventure after slapping my skis on and starting with ski lessons at Mt. Tom in Holyoke, MA. That was 1990.
Fourteen years after that first ski lesson I couldn’t have dreamed that I’d be attending college and be skiing still. Then, with a season pass and a being more advanced, my Mother chose no longer to go on trips to the mountain with my brother or I. In college a network of friends began to grew around me and they too had skiing or snowboarding on their list of Winter activities. I’d plan my class schedule to allow for me to escape to Vermont as often as possible. In Vermont a whole new, larger, network of friends existed. It was at Mount Snow where these newly acquired friends have grown to become family to me.
My Mother passed away in June of 2017, just before my health condition took a tremendously fast downward spiral. I didn’t really expect to be able to continue skiing at one point which could have led to losing out on the Vermont family I grew to know over the years. Like a dream is an unknown story we often receive on a daily basis in our sleep, we too live our conscious lives in a familiar unknown. We can’t totally plan to expect anything whether that be for future health, relationships, vacations, you name it. The unknown always surrounds us maybe if not more than the ‘known’. I didn’t know I was going to receive brain surgery last August but it happened, much like a dream. After a short time I was able to ski again just like my Dystonia wasn’t there.
These stickers I received today I could never told you ‘how’ or ‘who’ would provide them let alone that I’d even have the artwork to start. It turns out that throughout college I would start ordering stickers for Colorado Ski Shop and eventually began business with DieCutStickers.com. So today they are my source for stickers. As for the artwork, I saw a few drawings that a friend Ryan had done. I asked him is he could recreate my favorite ski outfit look into a sketch for future use on a YouTube channel to be titled “Unplugged with BSMUDA”. I had the idea of connecting people in the cities and suburbs with those who live and work in the mountains. The goal was to have the viewer eventually ‘unplug’ and disconnect with their 21st century digital addictions and start venturing outside more. Instead I used the artwork and started having them printed. To date there are 4,000 BSMUDA stickers floating across the world because of these connections I couldn’t have planned on having.
Tomorrow is another day of unknowing. I am planning on arriving at the hospital to have my battery/CPU for my Deep Brain Stimulation get replaced. The original battery has an average life span of 3-5 years running on average voltage use for Parkinson’s. That being said, my condition required a very high voltage and drained that battery in only 8 months since the original surgery. So as I say we can’t plan to expect anything in life, I am hoping that this battery, rated at a 15 year average, will hold up longer and provide me with what I need.
Back to dreams. Sometimes they can be scary and we call them nightmares, but in life we have to look at reality a little differently. Good day or bad day, you can always try to find something to make it better. If you’re struggling to make your day better or even your life better, sit down and talk with somebody. Could be a friend, family member, doctor, your choice. Life is all about decisions and making the right ones. Make a choice to do things that aren’t set with the intent of offending others but perhaps assist or help somebody. Life is a heck of a lot more enjoyable with a smile on and when you see somebody smile at you there is no doubt in my mind that instance makes your day a little better. So with daily life being so much in the ‘unknown’ do as much as you can to make each day a dream rather than a nightmare. Do it not just for you but everybody you’re surrounded with whether you know them personally or not. Spread joyfulness, say thank you, ask for help, say please, try to be happy, and plan big, so those ‘dreams come true’ as often as possible,
I dream that one day everybody can be as one while remaining unique. I could type on this topic for days but that’s what my book will be for. No need for judgement or negativity. Dream big, make a change, and see you in a happier tomorrow!