What Happens to a Dream Deferred?

Have you ever pondered the question, what happens to a dream deferred?

I think it’s a fantastic way to reflect on life and enter into the realms of both psychology and philosophy. Sometimes we just let dreams go by the wayside and forget all about them because life smacked us upside the head with reality. But is that a good enough reason to completely disregard a dream or a reason to defer it?

Recently, I was accepted into Drexel University’s MBA program and I was suppose to start this Fall (2016). Unfortunately, I was faced with a decision to either decline or defer my admission due to some unforeseen circumstances. It is a DREAM of mine to attend Drexel University, so it was only a matter of time that I would make it a reality; the choice was simple, I deferred my admission ONE year and I will begin my MBA program next Fall (2017).

But the question remains, what happens to a dream deferred? I am not 100% sure, but I will definitely KNOW for sure within ONE year. It is easy for me to say NOW that in ONE year exactly I will live out my dream, but what if another “unforeseen circumstance” happens again? Well, for starters, I would have to start ALL over again and go through the admissions process from scratch. I would then have to HOPE the university would accept me again.

The big issue here is that the University has a limited amount of people they can accept into each program. Why would they want to use a slot on someone who has declined their offer the first time? I cannot answer that, but I am sure the chances of that happening have decreased significantly.

That being said, I have plenty of time to get things in order to make certain my dream comes true! I have a plan in place and I am currently executing the plan. I am not so sure what happens to a dream deferred, but I AM sure I will do EVERYTHING in my power to make it a reality.

I guess the answer lies within the dreamer…

That’s right, it depends on the person whose dream it is. Are you a go-getter? Are you ambitious? How bad do you want it? Was it deferred for a valid reason? Or was it an excuse? Do you have the will power to defer something and come back for it? Is this simply procrastination? Will you allow a dream to slip through your fingers? How close were you to achieving it? What are you willing to sacrifice?

If you can answer those questions, I guess you can then answer ‘what happens to a dream deferred?”. As for me, I will post a blog this time next year with an answer to such a great question. I will say this, I did defer a dream once and came back to accomplish it…ask me about it when you see me!

I will conclude this post with the poem that popped to mind when I had to defer my admission into Drexel University.

Harlem
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?

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