What About

Lately, more and more I'm really thinking my dream of owning a bakery someday will be more than just a dream. I can already see the curved front of the glass display case, the retro cash register, the miss-matched bar stools in front of the smooth wood counter, art from good friends plastering the walls. I can hear the ding ding as another customer enters, the low sound of The Beatles playing, smell the warmth of the oven in the back. If I shut my eyes, I'm there.

But alas, it's going to be a steap climb before I can hang my shingle and wipe floured hands on my apron front.

As I sit, day in, day out, behind a desk on a computer frantically typing, attending meetings, shuffling papers, contributing to corporate America, I feel an urgency. A whisper in my ear, "Escape." But there's all these "what abouts" lurking behind that urgency. "What about my mound of student loan debt?" "What about my lack of pastry school training?" "What about health insurance?" "What about retirement funds?" "What about rent?" I start drowning in a sea of What About. As some neighborhood kid bounces a ball in front of my house, my What Abouts come out in rhythms. A steady song of self-doubt and excuses.

Last night my boyfriend and I snuggled on the couch as we watched Julie to Julia. It's a moving film based on a true story about a woman who takes on the task of cooking her way through Julia Child's famous cookbook. In the end, she's got millions of blog followers, lands a book deal, and obviously a movie. Afterwards, as we threw on our jackets to move our car for the Monday morning street sweepers, my boyfriend looked at me and said, "I want what happened to Julie to happen to you." How did I ever end up with somemone this supportive?

If everyone around me thinks I can do this, then I'm going to start telling myself I know I will. It is no longer a matter of "If" but a matter of "When!" I won't drown myself in the What About Sea, but gently sail along on my When Raft, setting a course for calmer waters.