Rocking a dream

In this post I’m looking at two of my favourite things: rock music and the Olympics. How happy I am that I have found a way to bring them together! It’s all about having a dream and knowing, very specifically, what it is. I know that’s not an entirely new subject for this blog, but it IS important, and it gives me a great excuse to scribble about a couple of inspiring men.

The first is Dave Grohl, fifth and last drummer in Nirvana and multi-talented front-man of the band Foo Fighters. When Dave was a boy, his dream was this: he would be at his favourite band’s concert, and someone would make an announcement that the band couldn’t play because the drummer was sick, “…unless, of course, there is someone here who knows all the songs…?” Dave knew all the songs and would be catapulted to stardom as he saved the night. What happened? Not too many years later, after playing for a number of bands, Dave became drummer in the iconic grunge band Nirvana. He was described by top producer Butch Vig as “the best drummer in the world”. After front-man Kurt Cobain died, he formed what is now one of the biggest and most successful bands around.

Now let’s tear ourselves away from rock and focus on sport. Everyone in the UK knows Tom Daley, the 18 year-old diver who lost his dad last year and, this year, won bronze in London. Before we even knew the 2012 Olympics would be in London, he drew this picture of himself doing a handstand on the diving board in London in 2012. A couple of weeks ago, many of us watched him do just that, living his dream, just like Dave Grohl.

Both of these guys have an amazing talent, and they have both worked incredibly hard. But without that dream, the clear vision of what they wanted to achieve, could they have summoned the enthusiasm and determination? Could Grohl have done the hours and hours and hours of practice, and the years playing for unknown bands? Could Daley have managed the early starts, sacrificed his social life and fast food? And what about the nerves that they have both suffered – and still do – when moving out of their comfort zones? It seems to me that they both had a dream to sustain them, to give them purpose and drive.

I’ve talked before about resurrecting our dreams, as adults. It’s never too late; it may not turn out how we expected decades ago, but we can always become more ourselves, allow the brilliance that is inside each and every one of us to emerge. And many of us have a chance to nurture the dreams of our children. It’s quite easy to be too “realistic”. Do you think Mrs Grohl, or Tom’s late Dad, sometimes thought that their son might not achieve all that they wanted, or wondered how it could possibly be done? They must have had doubts and fears for their children, and worried about disappointment. But for each of these boys, with their fantasies, drumming on cushions and drawing diving boards, dreams did come true. Who is to say it can’t happen for us?