I don’t remember the man’s name, but I will never forget his words.

A model railroad fanatic since childhood, he dreamt he would someday own a miniature, outdoor train system that was fully operational.

He had to wait until his 60s to fully realize his passion but he achieved his dream.

“You can’t get old and say, I wish I had …” he began. “You want to get old and say, I’m glad I did …”

Life is so short, so fragile. If you have a dream, chase it.

Dreams do come true. He is proof. So are many others.

We need not be asleep to dream. In fact, often the best dreams occur when we are wide-awake.

I once heard it said the poorest person in the world is not the one without money, but the one without a dream.

Think about it. What keeps us going? What keeps us looking forward to the future, to life?

Probably it is our dreams, something in our lives we want to attain before we check out.

“Life goes on … long after the thrill of living is gone.”

Those words, from the song “Jack and Diane,” are sad, at least to me.

If the thrill of living is gone, what’s the point in being alive? We need that thrill, that dream, to make life worth living.

Folks talk a lot about their “bucket lists,” wishes they hope to turn into realities before they “kick the bucket.”

One friend wants to travel across the expanse of Canada via a scenic railroad excursion.

Another, who has had a rough life, wants to find a kind man who will treat her right and take her on a vacation, something she never experienced.

These people have dreams. I hope their dreams come true.

Following our dreams probably will not be easy but it will be worth it.

No matter how impossible they may seem, we need to keep believing in our dreams.

Remember the song, “Climb Every Mountain?”

The words urge us to climb every mountain, ford every stream, follow every rainbow, till we find our dream.

Following our dreams means heeding the call of our hearts and ignoring naysayers who try to stifle our aspirations.

I was always a dreamer. In second or third grade I announced I would be a writer when I grew up.

I never wavered. My path was littered with obstacles along the way but I was determined to realize my dream. And I did.

Songs about dreams abound. I seem to remember all of them.

In “The Impossible Dream,” from “Man of La Mancha,” Don Quixote sings of pursuing the seemingly hopeless:

“To dream the impossible dream … to reach the unreachable star … this is my quest …”

A positive attitude like that can make dreams come true.

Life is full of regrets. Don’t let giving up on a dream become one of them.

We are never too old to make our dreams come true or to begin new dreams.

If you have a dream, chase it.

And don’t stop chasing until you grab it.