My dream is to be completely independent and contribute to more charitable causes.

This dream was shared by Ryan Coulson, 26

My dream in no way is as glamorous as others. I don’t have the same high hopes as a multi-million dollar philanthropist who dreams of curing cancer, AIDS, or the common cold. My dream is much more simple, I want to leave those I love and my community with a sense of pride, while living comfortably. I want those that I know to be proud that I was in their lives. I look at the road that I am currently on and I am in no way happy. I feel that I give nothing to society while at the same time feel as if it owes me this wonderful and fabulous life. I am waking up out of this though.

In regards to being completely independent, I want to have everything that to me is important, like being culturally aware of the world and the part that I play in it. I also want to be ok with myself. They say that the first rule of loving someone is loving yourself. When you add a gay twist to it though it makes everything that much more complex for me. I guess I have to learn to be ok with the fact that I love men before I can be comfortable with myself as a whole, and really be ok with someone loving me. I want the house with the two car garage, a husband to come home with, and a little Asian daughter named Lily.

The problem is I don’t know if I have what it takes to make that dream a reality. I am incredibly envious and at the same time admire those who completely follow their hearts, who pack up everything on a whim and travel to see the world and help others in the process. I too want to do this. I want to travel and change the lives of complete strangers for the better. It makes me incredibly proud to say that I know and am friends with these people. I am not sure if I can call all of the aforementioned dreams or if i should be calling them goals, but at this point my goals are drifting farther and farther away and are becoming a dream. This, however, does not mean it all won’t come true. I am working every day to better myself so that I may better others in the long run.