I thought I clicked the “post” button yesterday, but evidently I did not. So pretend that it’s Monday while you read this, otherwise you’re in for a Two-for-Tuesday.

While shopping for a couple of high school graduation cards this past weekend, I began to feel old. Then I began to feel nostalgic. So look forward to more reminiscing over the next couple weeks.

The class of 2001 had a front row seat to a lot of great hits. Beyonce, Train and J-Lo were topping the charts. Harry Potter and The Fast and the Furious were big box office thrillers. I guess not much has really changed. I remember our senior class taking a survey and having some of our responses printed in the yearbook. One of the questions that has somehow remained lodged in my mind was: “Where will you be in 10 years?” My reply was this: “I’ll probably have a house in the suburbs of a city with a wife and kid 1 or 2 on the way. Working for an engineering firm and driving a Dodge Viper and a BMW X5.”

Well, I am in a suburb of Dallas, I am married to an incredibly beautiful and patient woman, and I am working as an engineer, BUT no house, no kids (present or on the way) and certainly no Viper or X5. I can’t be entirely sure what my 17 year-old brain was thinking, but I’m pretty sure those were legitimate hopes and dreams at the time. Regardless of whether those thoughts were sincere, I have to assume that I was at least slightly delusional. Any adult that read those words likely shook their head with pity for my ignorance. I know I do now.

But how big is too big to dream? For as long as I can remember I’ve always been a pessimist masquerading as a realist, and even I powerfully overshot reality when targeting my future ambitions. Should I reign in my desires or work harder to accomplish outlandish objectives?

Find out tomorrow (errr… today) in part 2.