PACO’S DREAM

Paco grew up in a furious generation when people were changing and declaring themselves to be free and not bound by the former social order of things. Paco was affected even as a child and he used to envision him as being free, riding in the wind, not tied down, but his own man, his own boss, just free.

Always, Paco had desired to have a bike. In fact, his lifelong dream had been to have his very own “Hog” and to travel across the country, letting everyone see that he was free. Paco was going to go every where on his bike. He would let his hair grow long and let it brow in the wind, and women would turn and stare at him, and men would envy him for he would be free!

As Paco grew to manhood, he set out to achieve his dream. Despite his mother’s hopes for him, he had bigger dreams of his own; he had to get his bike and get free. Paco worked hard to buy his first bike, although it was not the right brand or the right style. But at least he was able to ride now. Sometimes, he hated his life because he couldn’t grow his hair long because of his job, and his bike just wasn’t the right kind, but he would ride on the back roads so no one could see him. He could not wait for the day when he would grow his hair long and he would ride his “Hog” and the women would turn and stare and the men would envy.

Of course, it took longer than Paco had anticipated accumulating the money, as it wasn’t as easy as it had been in his dreams. But he kept at it, and he would ride his own bike on the back roads so no one would see him.

Finally, Paco heard about a chopper he knew was meant for him. Of course, it would need some work, but who cared, for if he got his dream it was all worthwhile. So, he bought it, and his mother said it was a pile of junk, but she didn’t know any thing any way. He set out to do it up the way he liked it. Unfortunately when Paco had dreamed he had never counted the cost, all
He had seen was the vision of himself on the bike in his full glory, long hair blowing in the wind.

When he began to work on the bike he found it far more costly than anticipated. That meant more time and more work for him, but he really didn’t care, as his dream would come true. No price was too great nor any work too hard to fulfill the dream Paco had. Long days and long nights he worked. He even took extra jobs to work in order to make more money to pour into his dream machine. In fact, every extra dime he made would go into his machine, because, one day he would have it ready and he would grow his hair long and he would be free. He really didn’t have any money to spare because all of his money went into his machine which he had to finish fulfilling the dream he had even as a boy.

As the years passed, Paco began to notice gray hairs coming into his head. But then again what could he expect, because his daddy was gray in his mid-thirties and it looked like Paco would be there soon. But, he told himself his hair would still look good long, blowing in the wind, when he rode his bike.

He still kept on working, sometimes two jobs, working on his dream machine, getting ready for the day when he would be free. He got a little heavier as he got older and his belly was beginning to sag, but he told himself it wouldn’t matter once he got to ride his chopper, which would all fall off. He could still see himself, free, hair blowing in the wind, the women turning to stare and the men looking at him with envy.
At last, Paco finished his bike and it was a beauty. It showed years of love and care and desire all in one. It was a beautiful machine: chrome glistening, engine roaring, fully refurbished and ecstatic. Paco had bought himself leathers to match the occasion. His sleeveless, fringed vest had a huge insignia hand painted on the back to attract attention to himself as he roared down the highway. Of course, he had to leave his vest open because his belly was too big, but he still could see the women turning to stare and the men looking on in envy. The picture was always present in his mind and had goaded him on through the years to see the fulfillment of the dream. He had let his hair grow and it was long, streaked with gray. He wore a headband and when he rode his hair would blow in the wind.

Paco had saved his money and ha had bought some saddle bags for his “Hog”. Now he was ready to hit the road. He told his old mother good-bye and bid farewell to the few friends ha had, packed up a few belongings and set off. He was not very clear about where he was going or when he would be back, but he was impatient to go and be free. His hair blowing in the wind; it would be just him, his bike, and the endless road to freedom!

A few hundred miles down the road, Paco began to feel terrible and his insides hurt. Riding his bike all days wasn’t nearly as fun as he had thought it would be. His butt was real sore and his kidneys ached and his legs kept having bad cramps from holding them in position all day. Even his back and his arms hurt from the way he had to almost hang like an ape. His eyes were very sore, and he found it to be a law in some places that he had to wear a helmet. So, his hair no longer blew in the wind, but it hung limp and greasy underneath the cumbersome helmet.

Paco was not eating right because he didn’t have his mother to cook for him, and he wasn’t sleeping right because he tried sleeping with his bedroll but he kept getting rained on. He had decided to rent motel rooms, so he was starting to worry about money. He was getting real edgy thinking about everything, and he was growing increasingly tired. Many times his legs would shake almost uncontrollably from stress when he would get off of his bike, and even his fingers hurt from gripping the bars.

Sometimes when he would go to get gas he would go into the restroom, and if there was a mirror, he would brush his hair and shake it loose, then straighten his vest and carry his helmet. Of course, when he mounted his machine eyes would be on him, and as they stared he would ride off into the wind, free, and then he would feel better for he knew it was all worth it.

Paco had spent too long dreaming and he was beginning to find his new lifestyle a little harder than he had bargained for and he began to long for a place to just rest. But he didn’t know anyone, so what could he do? He couldn’t go back home because his mother would laugh and call him a fool, so he had to keep going, keep being free, letting his hair blow in the wind whenever he got a chance.

Life on the road began to take its toll and Paco had a few problems with his machine. At one point, he was eating in a truck stop and someone backed into his machine and just took off. His chrome got all messed up and several spots lost their paint, but he told himself that one day soon he would settle down, get a job, and fix up his machine. To be able to tolerate his life Paco began to drink more often. It was not just beer as he had always drunk, but now it was whiskey. When he had the whiskey in him he could face the road, because he didn’t hurt so badly all over. More and more, he began to look forward to the long slugs he would take
right out of the bottle because then he would feel good, all warm inside and ready to ride, to be free, hair blowing in the wind.

Finally, Paco landed in a city where he knew he would have to stay to earn some money. So he checked into a cheap motel and began to look for work. But his hair was long and he didn’t have any clothes suitable, and no one would hire him. So the more he worried about his situation, the more money he spent on the whiskey he was drinking very regularly now.

Every day seemed to get worse than the one before. Paco’s money was running out fast and he was bored with sleeping and worrying in the motel room. Then one night, someone stole his tires right off of his bike: something he hadn’t bargained for at all. So, there he sat: stranded, almost penniless, no tires on his dream machine, in a cheap motel far away from his mother and her good cooking.

By the next morning, Paco had consumed large amounts of whiskey and he felt as though he were dying. So he called the ambulance and they took him to the hospital. The doctors said he was suffering from kidney failure, and they did not know if they could save him or not. For the first time in many years Paco prayed to God.

As he lay in that lonely hospital room in that strange city, his heart broke within him, because his dream had turned into a nightmare. His money was gone, his health was gone, and he would probably never even get to see his mother again. His hair was gray, his bike was without tires, and he was desperate. He had given up women for his dream. He had chased the wind and had been blown away. He was not free, but he was broken down and stranded, alone and empty. He wished he was back at his mother’s house, eating her good food and only dreaming.

But, it wasn’t so; he was dying. So, he prayed through the night, talking to Jesus all though the long hours. And the Lord spoke to him and showed him he was a fool who had spent his life bowing to a machine and a dream, give up his machine, and to serve Him and live…or, to hold to the dream, bow to the broken down machine and die. Paco made a promise to God and God helped him. He lived instead of dying. He sold his bike in that strange city and he recovered his health slowly; then he rode the bus back to his mother. Now he works almost every day, but he doesn’t dream of being free. Paco has been made free within, and he finds other boys and men blind as he was and he tells them how to be free: not by riding big machines with hair blowing in the wind but by finding peace with God within their heart.

MANY MEN AND WOMEN SPEND THEIR LIVES CHASING DREAMS; DREAMS WHICH ONLY END THEM IN DISAPPOINTMENT AND DESPAIR, AND HELL IS THEIR FINAL REWARD. BUT, WHEN A MAN OR A WOMAN, OR EVEN A CHILD WILL REPENT AS PACO DID AND TURN TO THE LORD JESUS, THEN THEIR LIVES HAVE MEANING, AND THEIR END REWARD IS LIFE FOR ETERNITY. IF YOU HAVE HAD A DREAM OF VANITY, BUT YOU TOO WANT REALITY IN JESUS CHRIST, THEN TURN FROM YOUR WICKED WAYS AND REPENT TO THE LORD, ASKING HIM TO BE YOUR SAVIOR. YOU CAN PRAY SOMETHING LIKE THIS: “DEAR JESUS, PLEASE FORGIVE ME FOR MY SINS, AND TAKE MY SILLY DREAMS THAT I MAY LIVE MY LIFE FOR YOU, AND NOT END IN DESPAIR AND HELL. en as Christ also loved the Church, and gave himself for it;
Ephesians 5:25