Week 7 - What are your dreams? Have you reached any of them?

I think like every boy growing up I wanted to be a fireman sometimes, then a policeman at other times. I even rode this dream a little in high school when I took an Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) class. I don't know if I ever really understood what all an EMT, Fireman, Policeman did leading up to this time. I have always had a strange I'm going to throw up on your face feeling at the sight of blood. I've always had a hard time with needles. So, on either the first or second day of class when the instructor started flashing through pictures of things that we might do as an EMT while all the other students were getting excited, I was working on a way to excuse myself from class. That dream has been put in a deep dark hole, but I still have a fond respect for all of my friends that take on those roles for our community.

I think part of that dream broke off into another dream I have had, and maybe that dream was always that I just wanted to be doing something for the good of society. There are all kinds of careers paths out there. For the most part, all of them do something good for the community, but every job can be taken and twisted to be for the good of the individual - which usually isn't in the best interest of the community. So, as I started getting into advertising I got a little itch in my pants to do something to battle all of the advertising out there that works for products that aren't necessarily in the best interest of the community - like tobacco products to name just one. Where I haven't actually made it to be a part of the push to educate about the harmful nature of these types of products, and I clap every time I see an ad doing just that, I have found a little niche that is working to fulfill this dream of mine. I currently work for a not-for-profit hospital. Now, not-for-profit doesn't actually mean we don't make any money. On the contrary we make a whole lot of money. It is in the best interest of the community that we make a whole lot of money. The thing that fulfills this dream is what we do with our profits. While quite a few hospitals are all governed by shareholders that get a portion of the profits, our hospital is governed by volunteers. The not-for-profit status requires us to put our profits back into the community. So, through investments in bringing the latest in technology to the community, or the best physicians to our community, through educating our staff so that we have the best in health care practices in our community, or through supporting other efforts similar to these in our community we donate the profits we make. At this time of such unrest in the world of health care, it brings me a little bit of comfort to know that the nation is looking at my hospital to see what we are doing to drive down the costs of health care and bring better services to our community.

I remember growing up and telling Jason just before he left on his mission that I would one day be taller than him and faster than him. This was a tall order from a little kid that wasn't too quick, that literally (and figuratively) looked up to his brother. I don't know if this falls into the dream category, but I worked my little legs off while he was gone and with a year or so to spare I started breaking my brothers track and cross-country race times. I don't know what I really did other than get the taller genetics to accomplish the other thing that I told my brother, but I am taller than him and was taller when he got home.

This leads into another check box that I have on my list. I don't know if its actually a dream, but its definitely on the bucket list. I would like to, some day, complete an Ironman Triathlon. Right now isn't the time where we have little kids. The time it'll take to prepare it too valuable in spending it with my little boys right now. Perhaps we'll pursue that dream when they get a little older and they can train with me.

I always had a dream to get married and have kids. Growing up in Utah in a culture where most people get married in their early twenties, there were times when I felt like this dream was a little further away than other times. I recall having talks with people where they thought I was being a little too picky. I remember one time sitting at dinner (probably sushi) with my friend Ben. I was chatting with him about how something wasn't right with the girl that I was dating at the time. He was reassuring me that she would be a perfect companion. After breaking the relationship with her, I recall getting quite a few questioning looks from him and others. As I got into my late twenties I'm sure there was quite a bit of worry. But, then I moved away from Ogden with a friend of mine and met Kelly. Things clicked and were smooth with no bumps like Dad had always told me they would be. We got married four months after the day we met and we've continued on pursuing our other dreams together and it is wonderful.

Now, we have dreams of raising our kids up to be good, hard-working members of society that love the Lord and keep his commandments to continue on His work. Its a little weird to say that when Ivin, our oldest is only two years old, but its gotta start somewhere. On a side note, our dream these past few weeks have been just to get Ivin to take a nap. He has been super sleep-deprived and its getting more and more out of control. Happily, today as I sit here typing - and Kelly takes a much deserved nap on the couch - Ivin and William are both napping.

We have dreams of being independent and paying off all of our debts. We've made huge strides, some of them with the help of Mom and Dad Holt helping us to rearrange some of our debt to pay it off at a better interest rate. We still have a way to go, but with the stress that debt and money causes on a relationship, Kelly and I have really come together to battle on this one. We have our slips, and we still take time to enjoy a few luxuries here and there, but paying down our debts and being more financially independent is in our sights. All the while keeping with another one of our dreams to have Kelly at home to raise our children. We see the strain that having working parents puts on the children in many families nowadays. We made a decision before we were married that we wouldn't have it be that way in our family. We've been blessed for this decision with a job that meets our needs. We've been blessed with our decision to pay down debt with other sources of income through a side business.

This being said, I strongly believe that the Lord's hand has been and will continue to be in all of our dreams. As we make righteous goals, our Heavenly Father will bless us to be able to accomplish them through hard work and dedication - work and dedication being two key ingredients. You can sit and ask for help all day long, but until you start doing something you aren't going to get too far. I am grateful for a Heavenly Father that is a part of my life, and for a wife that understands this principle. Having a companion that believes in these principles means so very much to me. He companionship was well worth what I thought was a wait. It really was just preparation time for me to get up to the level I needed to be at to marry that type of woman I dreamed about marrying.