One Fine Morning...

I aboslutely love The Great Gatsby. I first encountered F. Scott Fitzgerald's masterpiece as a junior in high school. I fell in love with it then, and my admiration for the text only grew as I studied it in college (more than once!). I've taught high school for almost 10 years now, and for 8 of those years I've taught Gatsby with the enthusiasm of a 12 year old about to go her first Hannah Montana concert. I simply never tire of it. When Trent and I were dating and he invited me to go camping, I only agreed to do so if he, in turn, would read a classic. He agreed; so I kayaked down the Green River and went without a shower for 24 hours, and Trent read Gatsby. We knew this one was for real when I discovered my inner camper and Trent fell in love with the novel's gorgeous prose and spent hours discussing the novel with me. Gatsby is simply a masterpiece of literature; it elicits some of the best reactions from my students, and its message is one that has kept me thinking for 15 years.

So, it's fitting that I foray into the blogosphere with a little Fitzgerald backing me up. The title for my blog,"One fine morning..." comes from the last page of The Great Gatsby. In context, the words convey Fitzgerald's idea that the greatest of dreams are those which elude us, the ones we almost can grasp but then fall short of our reach. I used to agree with this notion, but lately I've wondered, What if Fitzgerald is wrong? What if all that we hope and dream really is within our reach? And what happens when we accomplish our dreams? What then?

It's been a pretty eventful year in my life. In some ways, it's been like checking off a giant list of dreams: after what felt like a lifetime of living single, I married Trent in April of last year. Marrying the perfect man in the perfect place on the perfect day: check that one off the list. The very next day we left behind the life we knew and moved to upstate New York. Living in a charming little house in New England: check that dream off, too. I've been fortunate enough to continue in a career I truly love and feel very passionate about: so, check that one off. On top of everything else, a new little dream will grace our home this August. Check, check, check.

Here's the kicker, though. While my life feels like a fairy tale sometimes, it's also challenging. Trent and I some times look at eachother and wonder why in the world we left our life of comfort and ease behind for so much that is new and unfamiliar. The career that I supposedly love has challenged me in ways I could never have imagined; Pregnancy brings with it all the ups and downs of severe morning sickness; and New England is definitely not Provo.

I can't help but think of Fitzgerald in all of this. He argues that "One fine morning..." won't ever happen, but that's what keeps us striving. But what happens when all that you dream about DOES come true? You keep striving, you keep trying, you keep dreaming, and most of all, you keep working at it, because a life of happiness and peace is only that way if you choose it.