When Late Night Thoughts are Bourne

WHEN LATE NIGHT THOUGHTS ARE BOURNE with Freddie Bourne

I WANT TO SAY THAT I AM PROUD OF YOU

“Lol, I’m dead.” No - you’re actually alive and made it through another year in the most uncertain time in our history.

Typically, the first sentence of my monthly column suggests what the topic of this long, drawn-out soliloquy will be. However, I took the high road and simply found a way to attract your attention.

Good times.

But, think about it. If you are reading this, it means that you survived another year of probably one of the oddest times that you will ever experience. With the exception of puberty, of course.

I digress.

Despite the sarcasm and horrendous attempts at humor, I want to say that I am proud of you. Sincerely and undoubtedly proud of you.

This isn’t going to be one of those sappy Instagram stories that pops up, but rather an opportunity to highlight the fact that you never gave up no matter what was thrown at you. Every day, whether you liked it not, you got up, took a few steps, and took on the world in some capacity. Maybe you didn’t follow your dream or achieve some of the goals you set for yourself. But you made it through and continued on.

That's what this column has done for me. I left journalism seven years ago because I was afraid of not achieving a dream I had. I let doubt settle in for that long due to continuous apprehension in my brain - I was too out of touch with the industry, not smart enough, and maybe not even a good writer.

But, I kept going. Now, I get to do it for a living.

This year taught me that I don’t know what tomorrow will bring, or even if there will be a tomorrow at all. The nonstop media coverage of violence and COVID talk may have changed the sphere around us but it doesn’t have to make us stall.

Many people have come up to me since I started this column in January - complimenting the content, thanking me for advice they have taken from it, or even critiquing it. I thank you for all of it. I want to make clear that I am no one special. I am just a person that wanted to follow their dream and find a way to write again and bring more joy back into my life when I let the dream drift off into space for awhile.

I am a person that kept moving - just like you - even on the days when I felt stagnant. For the New Year, I hope that I see someone “living the dream” who actually means it when they say it.