Sir, – More and more frequently I notice that writers and other personalities in the media encourage young people to “chase their dreams”.
Am I the only person worried by this trend? I dreamt of being a professional footballer or musician when I was a young lad but I didn’t have the necessary talent.
Should I have “chased my dream” to the point of extreme failure in either of these disclipines? And where would a young man be in life when he finally realised at the age of 30 that he had spent 15 years chasing failure, and now had no career or qualifications to support a relationship and family?
We are giving our children unrealistic notions about a world where chasing dreams has become more important than contribution to society. Finding a role in life that contributes to society and allows for a stable family life is much more important than following dreams.
Dreams should be relegated to part-time hobbies and pastimes. – Yours, etc,
Canon JAMES MORIARTY,
Dublin 4.