Day 72: A Million Dreams
I doubt many of us sat around as children, thinking about doing exactly what we are doing today. We all had dreams, some big and some small. These dreams were ours, and as we got older, these dreams seemed to fade little by little. In most cases, I would suspect these dreams were fantastical, full of lands of make-believe, but they were so real to us, even though they only existed in our minds.
Hello again, my thirsty readers! Since I was young, I was always fascinated by bartenders, but it had nothing to do with drinks. I didn't even understand alcohol. Growing up, my father became sober when I was only four, and there wasn't alcohol in my house again, until I was a teenager. What intrigued me was the show, and that love of performing led to everything positive I've ever done.
I've mentioned before, how much I love being transported by movies. They always seem to give me ideas for drinks, but most of all, I love when I can see myself in the characters. Recently, I was watching 2017's The Greatest Showman, a musical movie, loosely-based on the life of P.T. Barnum. I had those warm and fuzzy feelings coming back up in the pit of my stomach, especially the relationship between Barnum and his wife, early on, while they're children.
I'll get this out of the way now. The first time I watched this film, I didn't allow myself to love it. I was too much of a cynic, thinking about how fictional it was when comparing it to Barnum's actual life. On top of that, my critiques didn't exactly sit too well with the person who was excited to show it to me. I felt pretty awful about that. Weeks later though, I found myself listening to the soundtrack. I took the time to listen to the lyrics, and it just hit me all at once. The characters were saying what I'd always felt. Barnum grew up feeling like he was never enough, trying to prove everyone wrong. He wanted to entertain the world, even though teh world didn't want him there, and I related to this so strongly, to a point where I was a little freaked out.
In the song "A Million Dreams," both a young Barnum and an adult version, played by Hugh Jackman, sing about all the things he dreams about. He talks about having a million dreams that keep him awake, and how he's going to show the person he loves a life beyond what he can currently provide. The movie goes on to touch on prejudices of both race and financial class. The world tries to tell him, and his cast members, they don't belong in high-society, but nobody can stop a dreamer, when he sets his mind to something.
A Million Dreams
1.5oz Aged Jamaican Rum
.75oz Overproof Jamaican Rum
2oz Campari
2oz Dolin Blanc Vermouth
2oz Passion Fruit Syrup
1.5oz Lemon Juice
2oz Pineapple Juice
6 dashes Bittermen's Burlesque Bitters
Tiki Bowl
Whip shake and pour unstrained into bowl.
Top with crushed ice.
Garnish with pineapple fronds, lemon peel, and flowers.
I couldn't end this without including these lyrics, just incase you haven't seen the movie or heard the song.
"I close my eyes and I can see The world that's waiting up for me That I call my own Through the dark, through the door Through where no one's been before But it feels like home
They can say, they can say it all sounds crazy They can say, they can say I've lost my mind I don't care, I don't care, so call me crazy We can live in a world that we design
'Cause every night I lie in bed The brightest colors fill my head A million dreams are keeping me awake I think of what the world could be A vision of the one I see A million dreams is all it's gonna take A million dreams for the world we're gonna make"
It's so easy to forget our dreams and everything that brought joy to our lives. Sometimes a person brings us this joy, and sometimes it comes from our own passions. I'd have to say, the best of it all, is when someone helps to bring it all together, without you even realizing. Trying to navigate this world can be difficult with so much criticism surrounding us. I'll end with a line from another song in the show. "I'm not scared to be seen. I make no apologies, this is me." Enjoy your cocktail, my friends, find your joy, remember you dreams, and keep shaking.