Is a dream a lie if it don’t come true?

Following is a post that I have just posted on the National Trail blog.
I’m copying it here for various reasons which may or may not be obvious.

Hi all,
My name is Bruce Williams.
Just after the National Trail was set up, my mother suggested the idea that we both plan to ride the entire length on horseback.
Mum had loved horses all her life, and had owned one when I was a kid. I also had a pony when I was younger (7-8 years old).
I got back into riding lessons in preparation, but for some reason, the goal of riding the trail never came to fruition.
The scope of such an undertaking was not lost on me, but I think that perhaps Mum realised that it was maybe just a bit more than we could have handled.
Anyway, that was then.
This is now.
Mum is no longer with us, I’m in my 40’s, and still love horses, even though I don’t currently own one.
And it turns out that my son, Max (now 9) also loves riding.
So, I’ve been re-kindling the idea that Mum had back then.
I’d still love to do it.
I know it’s not going to happen overnight.
Yes, both my son and I are going to need a LOT of experience before undertaking such a project.
I know that.
But if there is one thing I’ve learned in 40 years, it’s that to achieve a goal, it needs to be written down.
So, rather than just write it down in a diary somewhere where I’ll forget it, I’m putting it out there on the interwebs for all to see.
This IS something I want to do before I die, and I WILL do it.
When?
Probably not for another 10 years or so.
I have some obstacles to get over, like:

* Owning a horse or 6 (well, duh!)
* More riding experience
* Planning the support vehicles and someone to drive them.
* The financial side of things… what do you do for an income while you’re spending close to 2 years in the saddle (it took Dan 21 months, right?)
* And some more riding experience 🙂
* And there’s probably a whole bunch of other things too.

Anyway, I just wanted to say hi, introduce myself, state my goal, and I guess get my mind thinking about it all.
I don’t know about you, but I feel like I’ve had too many goals in life that I didn’t take seriously enough.
Too many things that I wanted to do/achieve, but didn’t because I didn’t put enough energy into it/them.
And this is NOT going to be one of those….
… Springsteen just popped into my head… “is a dream a lie if it don’t come true?”
Anyway, where was I?
Yeah, this is NOT going to be one of those ones that got away.
If I keep posting here, keep reading about other people’s experiences on the trail, keep it all in the front of my mind, rather than allowing it to slip away, then maybe it’ll have a better chance of coming true.
Sorry if I’ve crapped on for too long.
If anyone wants to help keep me motivated, please feel free to drop me an e-mail (listed below).
I’d be happy to talk with others who have done it, or are planning it.

So, there you have it.
For those of you who know of my passion for photography as well, it is also part of the plan to photograph the entire journey and to publish a book of that experience as well.
Like I said, there’s a lot that needs to be planned.
But you gotta start somewhere.