Dreams of Pop Stardom

When I think about my dreams and interests as a kid, my first realization is that a lot of things have changed, that I am a very different person now. But if I think a little longer, I realize that I have not really changed that much. The dreams I had when I was little involved people and friends who are still very much a part of my life. I think that my most endearing childhood dream is my idea of being in a rock/pop band. I spent several years of my childhood with three best friends in a club that centered around our common love for the Backstreet Boys. The whole idea seems humorous to me now, but we took ourselves very seriously at the time. I would dream about growing up and becoming a female version of the Backstreet Boys, even touring with them. The goal seemed very attainable at the time; my sister and I would sing together, and it sounded like girl band material. My sister, an anonymous friend who may or may not be in this class, and I would spend hours making up complex dances to various pop songs, all the while envisioning ourselves on stage opening for our beloved Backstreet Boys. I was convinced that we were more familiar with all of their songs than any other fourth-grade girl. I knew that with our obvious talent, it was a sure and steady road to fame. Even in junior high school, I still dreamed with four of my best friends about forming a band and opening for our favorite artists. While my dream of becoming famous has admittedly faded, my love for music remains. I guess my childhood dream about being in a pop band was just my way of loving music at the time. And my best friends with whom I made up Backstreet Boy dances are still my best friends as a senior in high school. So when I think about my thoughts about the future as a fourth grader, I realize that my perceptions were not terribly off track.