Passion with Punch

You may have looked at my blog entries, and thought what is wrong with the person, can she not be positive about passion. Rest assured, I am not a passion killjoy.

Here Nike uses a famous Langston Hughes poem, which is very short and powerful.

Harlem

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BY LANGSTON HUGHES

What happens to a dream deferred? 

      Does it dry up 

      like a raisin in the sun? 

      Or fester like a sore— 

      And then run? 

      Does it stink like rotten meat? 

      Or crust and sugar over— 

      like a syrupy sweet? 

      Maybe it just sags 

      like a heavy load. 

      Or does it explode?

If this is what your passion feels like, "run with it." Sorry, I know this is a bad pun.

However, I understand that some people have amazing dreams and gifts. These people know their live's purpose and are genuinely connected with it. For those of you, who are fortunate enough to have a dream, I believe you need to follow it, while it follows you.

The poem "Harlem" or "Dream Deferred" speaks to what could happen if we postpone following our hearts.  The poem works using extended metaphor.

   The speaker begins by asking, "What happens to a dream deferred?" (Nice use of alliteration Lanston Hughes.)

  

    Personally, I believe that in some cases it is may be okay to defer a dream. However, in other cases it may not work out. Let's take the case of an Olympic athlete. A break in training could lead to a serious set back.  

   

    It is important to be mindful of the disadvantages of delaying pursuing a dream. Sometimes life happens and we need put things off. And in many cases, there is a cost to deferring our dream. It may be big and it may be small.

    "Harlem" looks at the bigger losses associated with not following one's dream. Passion and following one's passion appears as a romanticized notion in the poem.

    The imagery in the poem is strong. When we defer a dream it may "fester like a sore," or "stink like rotten meat." And, yes, of course, it could explode, but remember, it may not. However, as suggested earlier, I do see some risk in doing this.

   And so what happens to a dream that is not deferred, when passion is pumping through your veins, and you go with it?  I believe that this is probably the best scenario, and if you can, you should always follow your dreams, as they follow you.