~ from the song “These Days”
Dear Friends,
Growing up, I played every sport known to man – not just football, baseball, soccer and all those standard American sports. I trained with the Olympic fencing coach, I was competitive in sculling, I earned my blue belt in Karate Do, in the weight room I got my bench press over 300 pounds, I was undefeated in boxing…but of all sports, the one I love the most has always been basketball. I dreamed of being a professional basketball player one-day.
However, I am also a realist. How many six-foot small forwards does the NBA need? By my last count, um…. none. That doesn’t mean I gave up on my dream though. I just figured out a way to make it realistic.
For years the Harlem Globetrotters traveled with a team called the Washington Generals. The General’s sole purpose was to loose every game to their prankster counterparts. That was a job requirement I knew I could meet. Unfortunately though, by the time I was old enough to play for the Generals, the Globetrotters were in search of a more legitimate image and disbanded the designated looser Generals.
But, a dream only dies if you let it. I have annoyed every team in the NBA for a chance to play just one game in the Summer League or in exhibition play. I don’t even need to get in the game, just let me be on record as the twelfth man on the bench – wearing my uniform and waving a towel over my head while cheering on the non-six foot forwards. I even wrote a television series about a basketball team just so I could star in it and at least pretend to be a real basketball player. Isiah Thomas was looking to produce it before he had to divest such interests so he could coach the Indiana Pacers. But, I’m not giving up.
Maybe I’m crazy for not giving up. Maybe I’ll live my whole life without ever seeing my dreams become reality. But I’d rather die with the disappointment of having not fulfilled my dreams than live with the belief that they won’t someday come true.
Pursue your dreams. Don’t settle for “I wish I was.” Figure out a way to make it happen. And, if setbacks get in the way, then recognize that’s what they are – setbacks, not end-alls. Whether it is love, a career, or anything else; if it is worth dreaming, it’s worth pursuing.
As always, I am your fan. And, I believe in each and every one of you – so believe in yourself.
Peace Love Trust
rikki lee travolta
Review other RLT commentary
It's All Relative
Stand Against Racism
Writing About Life
Crazy Pants Travolta
Gregory Hines
Everwood
Book Excerpt: Bus Fare
Learning to Stand
A Time of War
Country Charm
Talking Frankly About Family (& Christmas)
My Fractured Life
Forever Love
Good and Evil
Man Behind the Wheel
The Little Engine that Could: A Memorial
Perceptions of Perfection
Personal Decisions
Responsibility in Communication
You Done Good
Duality of Man
Evolution of a Hero
Reason to Quit - Stop Smoking
Beware of Stalkers
Dare to Dream
Do The Right Thing
Dealing with Abuse
Mother's Day
Right to Choose
Support the Cause
Just Try
Virtue of One
Martin Luther King Jr
Free Form Jazz
Creating the News
Great Expectations
Story of a Life
Acting 101
Why I Cried
Personal Values vs. Monetary Value
Broken Hearts
Dignity over Jealousy
Community Responsibility
Life, Honesty, and Integrity
Drug Withdrawal
Christmas Spirit
Rikki Lee Travolta's debut album!
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