Dreams of a Dennis

Dennis was a boy with dreams. Rather large dreams, if I'm honest. He wanted to become an artist when he grew up. Not the traditional Leonardo Da Vinci type, but something with computers. I thought it was sort of cute. He was my best friend. I know, I know. We hadn't known each other for too long, it was only my second year of knowing him. Still, I didn't have many friends back then. Something tells me he didn't either.

 Anyway, he wanted to do art. In this day and age, art sharing websites are a dime a DOZEN, and he was on one particular one all the time. His art wasn't great, alright? The internet isn't exactly real welcoming, understand? I don't know the whole story, but I think the messages he got were pretty awful. I used to be one of those "let me see your sketchbook" people. But maybe a month after he started posting he wouldn't show me his art anymore. Now I'm convinced he just stopped.

It seems kind of hard to picture. So what, a guy loved art and the big bad meanies on the Internet made him stop? Well, it isn't an easy thing to explain. But, maybe it is. Ever met someone who has something, that one something,that whenever they talk about it they just seem to light up? A genuine smile, a bubbling excitement?  That was it. And then he'd just lost it. He seemed disheartened. After a whole 3 weeks without any art, without that smile, I was sick of it. I couldn't take back what those people said, but I could do my absolute best to remind him of what he really was.

Every single day (yes even weekends) I texted him. Monday through Sunday I did my best to remind him of what I saw every time he showed me his art. The way I figured was, technology hurt him, it owed him. All that time I was trying to convince him he was good enough. It was all I could do. It took 5 months for me to really see an effect. It came though. One day, he sent me a picture. I remember being near tears. This was what I was waiting for. I'd just seen him that Friday and he looked as downtrodden as ever. But this? It was the light at the end of the tunnel.

He's gone back to drawing now. He's improved so much. I don't think I could ever be prouder.      Now my texts aren't as frequent, but I still make sure I utilize everything I can to keep him going.