The Dreamsmith's Apprentice
The intern at the Dream Shop learns about letting go of old expectations and being open to new possibilities.
Summer Business & Work Related Prompts | Fiction | Dreams Come True
Let me tell you about Will, a young man with big dreams and an even bigger heart.
Will was one of those people who carried quiet confidence about him, the kind that comes from knowing who you are and what you stand for.
He recently graduated from a tiny school in the middle of nowhere. Folks think of a young Black man about to begin navigating what we know is the often turbulent waters of the professional world.
But Will’s story differed because he didn’t land an internship in your typical office setting.
No, Will found himself in an unusual field — working at the Dream Shop.
Now, I know what you’re thinking: what on earth is a Dream Shop?
Well, the Dream Shop was where people’s dreams were crafted, repaired, and sometimes even reimagined. It was a quirky little shop tucked away on a side street in our town, easily missed if you weren’t looking for it.
The shop was run by Mr. Everly, an old man with wild silver hair and a twinkle in his eye that hinted he knew more than he let on. He was a master dreamsmith who had been in the business of dreams for longer than anyone could remember.
When Will walked into the shop for his interview, Mr. Everly took one look at him and nodded as if he had been expecting him all along.
Will’s job as an intern was to learn the delicate art of dream crafting. It wasn’t easy work. He had to learn how to mix the right emotions, cast and reconstruct memories into intricate mosaics, and ensure that every dream was just the right balance of possibility, achievement, hope and challenge.
And then there were the repairs — those were the hardest. Fixing broken dreams required a steady hand and a deep understanding of human nature.
And, dear reader, who among us ever understands human nature?
As you might expect, at first, Will struggled.
The pressure to get everything right was intense, and the weight of people’s hopes and fears bore down on him. And there were, oh, so many dreams!
He would often stay late, long after the shop had closed, practicing and refining his craft. Mr. Everly never said much, just watched from the sidelines, occasionally offering advice or a gentle nudge in the right direction.
One day, a challenging dream came in for repair. It belonged to a young woman who had lost her way in life. Her dream was frayed at the edges and cracked down the middle; the colors faded, and the light within it was dim. Will spent hours trying to fix it, but no matter what he did, it just wouldn’t come together. Frustrated, he was ready to give up.
Mr. Everly found him sitting in the back of the shop, staring at the broken dream in his hands. He sat beside Will and said, “Sometimes, dreams can’t be fixed how we think they should be. Sometimes, they need to be transformed, reimagined into something new.”
Will looked at the old man, trying to understand what he meant.
Then it hit him. He had been so focused on restoring the dream to what it once was that he hadn’t considered what it could become.
With renewed determination, Will set to work, not trying to fix the old dream, but to create a new one. It was still the young woman’s dream, but it had a different shape and light that suited who she was now, not who she used to be.
When Will finished, the dream glowed with a soft, warm light. It wasn’t perfect, but it was beautiful in its own way.
Mr. Everly smiled and patted him on the shoulder. “You’ve done well, Will. You’ve learned that the most important part of our work isn’t about making things perfect; it’s about helping people move forward.”
"The past is not for staying
Rather than trying to recreate old memories
Create new ones"
-- Fee Thomas¹
That night, as Will closed up the shop, he realized that the lesson he had learned wasn’t just about dreams — it was about life.
Reader, we all carry dreams with us, some from childhood, others we pick up along the way. But as we grow, those dreams sometimes need to change. Holding on to what once was can keep us stuck, but embracing what could be opens up a world of possibilities.
As Will continued his internship, he grew more confident in his abilities, but he never lost that sense of humility, of understanding that every dream, every life, was unique. And when the time came for him to move on from the Dream Shop, he did so with a sense of purpose, knowing that he was ready for whatever came next.
Folks, if you are in the early or advanced years of your career, it’s important to remember that growth often means letting go of expectations and being open to new possibilities.
Success isn’t about achieving perfection; it’s about adapting, evolving, and helping others do the same.
Be fearless today and reimagine your dreams — sometimes, that’s where the real magic happens.
© K. Joseph 2024, All Rights Reserved.
I am a dream weaver of sorts.
I have guided organizations through transformations for years, focusing on making the new world work as well as the old. But in trying to replicate the ways of the past, I missed the opportunity to help people see what could be. Then, a project involving automation changed my perspective. Instead of clinging to familiar workflows, I encouraged employees to embrace the potential for more profound, meaningful work. They began to innovate and create, seeing the new system as an enabler rather than a threat.
I realized that my role was not just to ease change but to inspire a reimagining of what work could become.
“The world is like a mask dancing. If you want to see it well, you do not stand in one place.”― Chinua Achebe
Thanks so much for reading.
This story was written in response to a prompt to develop a summer story about work and the word, intern.
Here are the other stories in response to the prompt:
References:
¹ Source:
thanks for this reminder: growth often means letting go of expectations and being open to new possibilities.