When we were kids, we all had big dreams.

Today's boys and girls may dream of becoming astronauts rocketing into space to explore distant worlds, becoming respected teachers, writers, business leaders, or maybe brave firefighters racing to save a family in distress.

As we grew up (and out, unfortunately), settled into the routines of adulthood, some of our dreams just sort of melted away.

Sometimes, in the dark of night, when Mr. Sleep Sleep refuses to visit our bedroom, we still have those moments when we wonder: Maybe if I could have done this, or didn't do that, or worked harder at this, life could have turned out differently. I might have been (insert your dream). 

For instance, I once knew a golfer who could hit long drives, pinpoint irons at flags, and snake in difficult putts. As the captain of the team for a major midwestern university, he was the only guy in the Big 10 who could challenge the conference champion, a chubby blond kid who we now know as the great Jack Nicklaus. When this other golfer graduated, he did not turn pro, although many advised him to do so. Instead, he went to grad school and became a dentist and had a quiet and successful life.

But, somewhere in the back of his cranium, tucked in the goo we call a brain, he always wondered if he might have been a major force on the pro golf tour. Like Marlon Brando's character Terry Malloy in the 1954 Oscar-winning film "On the Waterfront," the golfer turned dentist always mused, "I could have been a contender."

Last week, my favorite newspapers, The Boothbay Register/Wiscasset Newspaper, brought us a wonderful story of a Boothbay Harbor man who still dreams. As told by the always skillful writer Lisa Kristoff,  Corey "BoBo" Tibbetts is traveling to Nashville to audition for a chance to perform on the hit TV show, "The Voice."

We all know BoBo. He is that big guy with the big smile who makes us yummy pizza at his Home Town Convenience store on Eastern Avenue.  On the side, he runs a taxi service for summer visitors, year-rounders, and even offered free rides home for patrons of New Years' Eve celebrations who may have had one too many adult beverages. He is an all-around good guy.

Like more than a few of our friends and neighbors, he is a scuffler who works at more than one job. As we reach grown-up land, our dreams fade as we discover that the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow is a myth. Sure, someday we might hit the Megabucks numbers, but we all know our chance is slim at best.  In the meantime, we have obligations. Month after month, there are bills to pay.

So, we put our dreams on hold. Finally, they vanish.

But BoBo never gave up his. He knew he had a voice and wanted to be a singer. As a high school kid, between football and wrestling, he sang in choirs and bands. He did community theaters, a summer gig at the Carousel Music Theater while cooking on the side. Once, he saved enough to take a shot at the New York City music scene. But his savings ran out before he could catch a break. So he came home to the Harbor and went back to the kitchen and his cab. But the dream wouldn't go away.

Not long ago, he went to Universal Studios in Florida and got the chance to sing karaoke with a live band. Now, we all know BoBo is a not very tall fellow, but he is large. He calls himself a big guy. He told Lisa Kristoff the Florida audience sort of looked at him and dismissed him with a few catcalls. But when he lit into the tune, he wowed 'em and brought down the house.

That performance gave him the confidence to give his dream one more shot.

Now, will he try to wow the judges by losing a few pounds? Is he going to chop off his ponytail? Is he going to get a new outfit?  Not likely. He is who he is. And he is going to Nashville to show off his pipes, not his duds.

Will he make it? We all hope so. No one knows for sure. But unlike the rest of us, who gave up our dreams years ago, BoBo is going to give it one more shot. And for that, he deserves our applause and respect.

Go get 'em, BoBo. Knock 'em dead for us all.