You know those times when you go on Youtube and you stumble on a song that you just fall in love with? Well, today, I stumbled upon an old Andy Grammer song called “The World is Yours.” I instantly felt calm while listening to his soft vocals,guitar playing, and honest lyrics.

Now, before I get caught up in my song analysis, I would like to share a funny story.  Andy Grammer and I were friends in college. A few years ago, I saw him singing one of his hit songs on TV and I was shocked. One day, you see someone playing his guitar in the college dorms and then a few years later, you hear his music all over the radio. That was the first time I had seen someone I knew chase their dreams. Of course, I was so inspired by seeing his success that I told my students about it the next day. Some might say that was my mistake….

A few weeks later, I was on a trip to Israel to take part in my friend’s wedding. Apparently, while I was out of the country, my high school students decided to attend an Andy Grammer concert. Nope-it gets worse… They made a giant sign saying, “Call Jamie Mittleman from college.” He saw the sign during the concert and then spoke to the girls afterwards. Apparently, they had also written my phone number on a piece of paper and gave him orders to call me and get back in touch.

Well, imagine my surprise when I returned from my Israel trip to find these three giggling teenagers in my office ready to tell me what they had done. After my natural blush turned even redder and my jaw dropped to my knees, I was finally able to laugh at the story. Today, as I stumbled upon that moving song, I couldn’t help but think of this story. Thanks for the grand gesture girls!

I was drawn to “The World is Yours” because it talks about the phase in your life before your dreams comes true. This journey often seems daunting because we witness other people’s success and not their struggle. Although the journey may not be easy, it’s certainly much more exciting than not trying at all.

Note – If you think this blog entry is grossly optimistic and lacking an adequate dose of snark, I hope you’ll stay tuned for my waitressing blog entry next week… Until then, close your eyes, take a deep breath, and dream…

Have a Funky Friday!