“Follow That Dream” was released in 1962 when I was only nine years old. The movie featured the future “King of Rock and Roll,” and it was a testament to never giving up on your dreams. My brother drove me and his date to the Kay Theater in Sumner, Nebraska, to see Elvis Presley's ninth movie, based on the novel “Pioneer, Go Home!” by Richard P. Powell. To my recollection this was the first movie I ever saw in a theater. And it was in color by DeLuxe! We still had a black and white TV on our farm, so this movie experience was a real treat for a country boy from Overton, Nebraska.

I created the above poster to commemorate the 57th anniversary of the movie’s release and its impact on my life. It was the early Sixties and John F. Kennedy had been elected President. As a leader he symbolized our nation’s spirit of hope and catapulted the United States into an era of the “Space Race” with a goal of landing a man on the Moon by the end of the decade. The title song, “Follow That Dream,” captured my imagination and inspired my youthful ambitions of seeing the world and exploring my own “New Frontier” as Kennedy so eloquently had spoken about in his acceptance speech.

On the way home from the movie I fell asleep in the back seat of my brother’s car. As we cruised over the rolling hills I began dreaming about where my life would lead and where I would end up. The movie’s words and music by Fred Wise and Ben Weisman echoed in my head:

Got to find me someone whose heart is free
Someone to look for my dream with me
And when I find her I may find out
Just what my dreams are all about

I've got to follow that dream wherever that dream may lead
I've got to follow that dream to find the love I need

I've got to follow that dream wherever that dream may lead
I've got to follow that dream to find the love I need

Keep a-movin, move along
Keep a-movin, move along
Keep a-movin, move along

I woke up when we turned in the long driveway leading to our farmhouse where my brother parked his car in the yard. I sluggishly entered the house, climbed up the steep staircase, and crawled into bed. As I drifted off to dreamland again, the song continued to fill my head with hope and aspirations.

When your heart gets restless, time to move along
When your heart gets weary, time to sing a song
But when a dream is calling you,
There's just one thing that you can do

Well, you gotta follow that dream wherever that dream may lead
You gotta follow that dream to find the love you need

Keep a-movin, move along, keep a moving…

Well, I followed my dreams down a path which led me to be the first one in my family to attend and graduate from college where I met my future wife who shared my dreams of seeing the world, living in New York City, and raising a family. And, yes, we traveled abroad a lot. We even tied the knot in our dream location, Florence, Italy. Funny how dreams come to life! You just gotta follow them!