de•lu•sion•al [dih-loo-zhuh-nl]

The Dictionary explains the meaning of the word delusional as having false or unrealistic beliefs.   This I’m afraid, is my partner.

The other day, while talking about job hunting and Kid 3, I happened to ask “what does he want to do when he leaves school..?”   The Squeeze quickly came back with “he doesn’t have to think about that yet.”

I raised an eyebrow and mentioned that at nearly sixteen and in year ten at school, it is good to have some idea of what path you hope your life will take.  After all, next year he will start his VCE and if you don’t have a direction, you meander through school choosing the easiest path and end up with nothing.  My question was designed to spark his imagination in attempting to find “school holiday work” in an environment he would enjoy.

As I spoke, the Squeeze’s forehead furrowed and he said “Yeah, I guess you’re right.  Well he wants to write music scores for motion pictures.”

My mouth may have gaped open a few times before I asked “Wow.  What has he got so far; I wouldn’t mind a listen.”   What I really wanted to say was “is that on the top of the list..?  Above say… an astronaut or a movie star; maybe a a sculptor or a rock star.  Now can we pick something that is just a little more achievable!”  But of course I didn't; that just would have been downright rude.

He frowned.  I already knew what the answer would be.  None.  Zip.  Zero.

Although the Squeeze has delusion down to a fine art; he isn’t mentally unstable like the Harridan.  He could at least voice concern that the kid hasn’t actually tried to put something together.   The Harridan comes under ‘meaning number two’ in the dictionary, which is ‘a belief held in the face of evidence to the contrary, that is resistant to all reason.”   Oh that’s her alright.

I’m a firm believer that when it comes to the arts, you need a whole world of talent and a double dose of persistence and passion.   Kid 1, a musician, will play the piano on the weekend for hours on end.   The most I’ve ever seen the Kid do is pick up a guitar, play for five minutes before he turns back to the television.  I’m not seeing passion or persistence as part of his genetic makeup.

The Squeeze, wondered aloud that in this day and age when you have a world of technology at your feet, the kid could be out filming whatever he liked…  I didn’t need to point out that his words were the reason why “writing music scores for movies” would never be anything more than a pipe dream.

Don’t get me wrong, everyone needs to have a dream – but you need a backup plan in place in case your dream never actually becomes anything more than that, a dream!