I’m sick of following my dreams. I’m just going to ask them where they’re goin’ and hook up with them later. ~ Mitch Hedberg (1968–2005 an American stand-up comedian known for his surreal humor and unconventional comedic delivery.)

Many of us have life long dreams of what we want to do or accomplish from being a police chief to an accomplised author, even an Olympian. Often those dreams get left on the wayside as life happens to us and it’s rare that we get to go back and make that worthy aspiration a reality.

And then we encounter not only an inspiring lifetime advocate of civil rights but someone who had a childhood dream and at the age of 79 is about to realize it.

On December 14 Myrlie Evers-Williams will be playing with Thomas Lauderdale and Pink Martini at Carnegie Hall. I first heard, as did Myrlie, that Thomas was determined to help her fulfill a long held dream to play at Carnegie Hall at TEDx this spring.

At the TEDx conference here in Bend Myrlie, the NAACP’s first female chair, gave a moving speech about breaking barriers and seizing opportunities. Then she was paid a surprise visit by Thomas to make her childhood dream of performing her music at the famed music hall in New York City come true.

Her early plans focused on education and music until she met and married Medgar Evers, a civil rights leader. But her life was shattered on June 12, 1963, when she opened her front door to find her husband dying on their porch — the victim of a sniper’s bullet. She continued Medgar’s fight for racial equality, even in the face of threats on her own life and when her husband’s murderer was allowed to walk free, Myrlie Evers showed her incredible persistence by working for 30 years to see justice done.

A 1999 autobiography, Watch Me Fly: What I Learned on the Way to Becoming the Woman I Was Meant to Be, gives more insight into this incredible woman and her admirable dreams.

A sidebar to this ‘dreams come true’ story is Albert Maysles, who just turned 86, and announced he is making a film about Pink Martini and Myrlie Evers-Williams.

Albert and his brother David were responsible for numerous documentaries including the 1964 film on The Beatles that formed the backbone of the DVD, The Beatles: The First U.S. Visit.

Maysles says: “As a documentarian I happily place my fate and faith in reality. It is my caretaker, the provider of subjects, themes, experiences – all endowed with the power of truth and the romance of discovery. And the closer I adhere to reality the more honest and authentic my tales. After all, the knowledge of the real world is exactly what we need to better understand and therefore possibly to love one another. It’s my way of making the world a better place.”

I am extremely encouraged by Myrlie’s dream coming true and Thomas Lauderdale’s perseverance to make it happen. I am also bolstered by the thought of a documentary on two of Oregon’s greatest assets that will be captured in film by the renowned Albert Maysles.

With those thoughts we close 2012 and look to the new year with great anticipation.

Here’s wishing you an amazing holiday.

by PAMELA HULSE ANDREWS Cascade A&E Publisher