Dare to Dream

Dreams inspire, create, and showcase passion. Dreams question loyalty, challenge logic and balance the dreamer upon a precipice of change.

Utilizing dreams makes a difference in an individual’s life and the lives of others. That’s something we try to encourage here under the Tulip tree. While sitting on our favorite bench under a canopy of pink blossoms and sharing an ice cold drink, we at Okay, Listen Here like to dream BIG. (We especially love it when visitors share their dreams with us.) Southern ladies are well-known for hospitality, you see. Showcasing proper etiquette, a southern woman proves she can maintain a happy home while dreaming anytime, anywhere, and oh! what dreams a southern woman can conjure, especially a southern writer animatedly discussing her next book.

Everyone dreams. No dream is too big or small. Limits are set by the dreamer or not at all.


"Let me tell you a story ‘bout a man named Jedd, a poor mountaineer who barely kept his family fed…"


Or we could focus on one man in particular who dreamed of bringing joy to people all over the world, no matter the price. He called together his investors and formulated plans for the most costly, over the top park ever envisioned. He was warned that his ‘dream’ would never net a profit. The plans he drew up were drafted and built to scale to bring a long-standing film tradition to life. Even when his bank account sucked dry and all hope seemed lost, Walt Disney proved the naysayers wrong when he created Disneyland in Anaheim, California. Dedicated on July 17, 1955, Disneyland opened its doors to an expectant crowd on July 18, 1955. Disney World followed. Built in Orlando, Florida, its gates opened on Oct. 1, 1971. Tokyo Disney Resort was christened on April 15, 1983, expanding to Tokyo DisneySea on Sep. 4, 2001. In Marne-la-Valleè, Disneyland Paris opened April 12, 1992, under the name Euro Disney Resort. Located in Penny’s Bay, Lantau Island, Hong Kong, Hong Kong Disneyland erupted onto the scene on Sept. 12, 2005. And the dream lives on as the Pudong District of Shanghai in China begins to build the next Disney theme park.



"A dream is a wish your heart makes, when you're fast asleep.”




Did Walt Disney give up on his dreams when the odds were against him? No. Disney proved that nothing is impossible. He took a little mouse, scorned and feared and made it into an icon. A mouse! We’re not talking about a cuddly rabbit, but a vulnerable rodent scurrying through the gutter, a creature known for causing thousands of deaths in the Middle Ages (when, mind you, townsfolk eradicated cats creating an over-population of mice amid unsanitary conditions. But I digress… I love historical research. Pirate!).

Can you see the genius? Disney took a creature cast off by society and created a loveable and recognizable symbol of hope to promote his film work and his dream of bringing joy to millions of overstressed, downtrodden people. A mouse is typically forced to hide, to scavenge for whatever he can get. Disney’s mouse became a true symbol of the war torn economy Disney endured. Through Mickey Mouse’s adventures, the world was given a glimpse into the man, Disney, himself, and shown that overcoming the odds has a payoff only a true visionary can see. A lowly mouse is lifted up to become a symbol of prosperity.




“In dreams you will lose your heartaches, whatever you wish for, you keep.”





As we take another sip of raspberry tea, let’s look inward. What of a writer’s dreams?

A writer hears voices that clamor for clarity. A hero comes supplied with broad shoulders and sculpted abs to drive women crazy.

A heroine, on the other hand, demands a head full of gorgeous hair and a body that makes her irresistible to those around her, co-workers, villains and especially the hero, without sacrificing her brain.


The villain, somewhat jaded, longs to be as endowed as our hero so he can pluck our lovely heroine from the hero’s arms and if not, threatens to take her by whatever means, if necessary.

Add in an unforgettable plot, humor, suspense, and/or sizzle and you’ve got the makings of a bestseller— a.k.a. what every writer dreams of creating.

“Have faith in your dreams and someday, your rainbow will come smiling through.”

How did Walt Disney defeat his naysayers? He discovered what society needed most and supplied that ingredient in fresh inventive ways.

How does a writer become indispensible? By writing every day, perfecting the craft, finding what readers enjoy most, and blending a reader’s desire with the stories that are born from a writer’s heart.

• D— Dream, the act of seeing something that isn’t there.
• R— Relating the vision and processing a plan for its creation.
• E— Evolution, the act during which the dream becomes real.
• A— Acting consistently to labor and create a finished product.
• M— Manifestation, you made your dreams come true!

Dare to dream for success, no matter how long it takes! Walt Disney died on Dec. 15, 1966, 11 years after Disneyland opened its gates and nearly 5 years before Disney World was completed. Like most artists who found fame after death, Disney’s dream lives on in the hearts of people all over the world. Some may complain the ‘Disney’ Walt envisioned has become a capitalist mega-corp. organization striving to milk pocketbooks for everything they are worth. But that is not the ‘dream’ Walt Disney originated. He created a world the average man could escape to, complete with castles and safaris. A place anyone could visit at least once in a lifetime.

Isn’t that what a writer does? A writer’s true purpose is to transport a reader from daily hardship, if but for a little while. The world needs dreamers like Disney, like you and me. Though writing is a competitive business, there will never be enough writers with dreams to share. Walt Disney took his films and manifested them into an amusement park that takes a rapturous breath away from each and every visitor who walks through the park gates. Under the Tulip tree, we know romance books are popular because they showcase what readers all over the world desire in their lives, proving love is the ultimate gift, and a dream, no matter how large or small is worthy to be shared.

Are you dreaming of something BIG? Stephanie is busy as a bee, Jean has whipped up some delicious southern comfort and Cheryl is serving more raspberry tea. Sit a spell and share your dream with us.

“No matter how your heart is grieving...if you keep on believing....the dream that you wish will come true."