From a very young age, I've known I didn't want to live the way my family did. I grew up in a tiny, worn-down house where the paint was peeling off the sides of the house. Although I loved my parents, they didn't take care of the house. The landscaping was a mess, not to mention the dead flowers outside the house that my dad said he would take care of about two years ago. I've always dreamt of living a normal lifestyle where taking too long showers never existed, but I've managed to maintain the way I lived decently. However, one night all my dreams came true. I was 18 when a young man, about 5 years older than me, came to me with flyers telling me he was hiring for his new ice cream business. Usually, no one hires the kids who live around my area since they are known to be trouble, so I took the opportunity head-on, trying to set a positive example for young kids on my street. The next couple of years were spent working long, busy, and exhausting shifts 6 days a week. I didn't make great money, about 6 dollars an hour, but it was enough to improve my standard of living. Although this job took up most of my time, I genuinely enjoyed it. Even though my life was pretty much the same other than a couple of splurges a year, I liked knowing that I was taking action on my dreams. The only strange thing is people would come and go within a month of getting the job, which meant my boss and I were his only loyal employees. He would always ask me for advice on how he could grow his business, and over time, I watched his business expand and become extremely successful. This was until one night I went into the shop to pick up a shift and no one was there, not even in the parking lot. This was when I got the key my boss gave me to unlock the shop in case he was running late. I've used this key two or three times, but this time felt strange. There weren't even cars driving by, even though the ice cream shop is downtown, the busiest street in the area. As I slowly walked into the ice cream shop to turn the lights on, I heard our phone ringing. 

“Hello,” I quietly said. 

“Is this Marie Landle?” Which was said very authoritative. 

“Yes, what's wrong?”

“Your boss, Micheal got in a very severe car accident. I'm sorry but we've been trying to reach you for hours, but just couldn't get ahold of you.”

As I rushed over to the hospital devastated, I wondered how bad this accident was. I refused to believe there was a possibility of him dying since I know how hard he's worked in life and how much potential he still has. He is one of my biggest inspirations and a truly genuine person who took a chance on me. When I saw him in the hospital he could barely speak. Stumbling his words he whispered, 

“If I don't make it, I want you to take over the shop. Continue to make it great, I trust you and your judgment.”

He passed away the next morning. The rest of that month was spent reading in my bed for hours, sleeping, and crying. But one morning, I decided to get up and go to the shop to clean up and try and open soon. As I was in the shop, it brought back many memories, which motivated me to make the shop successful in honor of him. I kept the shop the same, except for adding a few new seasonal flavors. Over the next couple of years, the shop became very successful, and soon enough, I was able to afford my own house. As time went by, I was able to keep upgrading my house and buying myself things I previously wasn't able to afford. Eventually, I was living the life I always dreamed of. A big, white house on a lake with a big porch wrapped around the entire house. In addition, once you walked in, there was a ginormous chandelier with tons of diamonds and a spacious white kitchen. I was finally able to afford more than one television, take long, hot showers, and eat whatever I wanted, whenever I wanted it. Not only that, but I had a husband with 3 kids who were proud of the way they lived. I was happy I was able to give the life I always wanted as a kid to my kids, which fulfilled me a lot more than I thought it would. Most of our days were spent boating, going out to eat, hanging out with friends, and shopping which were all things I enjoyed doing. On holidays, we liked to travel around the world to places like Italy, Australia, and Switzerland since it was something I promised myself I would do if I ever got the chance. Although I knew that I didn't always live like this, I couldn't imagine living life any differently because I felt so fulfilled with the people and things around me. This was until I suddenly woke up sweating. As I got up to get a glass of water, I realized I wasn't in what I thought was my house. It looked like I was in the house where I grew up, which seemed impossible since I hadn't been there in about 10 years. I couldn't believe I was looking at my partially torn rug, the flickering lights, and the sink that barely turned on. When I went to go into my kitchen, hoping to see my big, white countertops, it was my mother cooking breakfast. My mom noticed me acting unusual, 

“Is everything okay? Take a seat, breakfast is almost ready”

This is when I realized It was all a dream. I never got out of my house, in fact, I still live with my parents and my life never changed.