We cast away priceless time in dreams, born of imagination, fed

“We cast away priceless time in dreams, born of imagination, fed upon illusion, and put to death by reality.”
Thus spoke Judy Garland, the voice of yearning and sorrow, whose songs once carried the hearts of millions beyond the rainbow — and yet whose own life was marked by the very tension between dream and reality. In this profound confession lies a wisdom born of both beauty and pain. She speaks not to condemn dreaming, but to mourn how easily human beings lose themselves in illusions, mistaking the shadow for the light. Her words are a lament for the time wasted chasing fantasies that can never withstand the weight of the real world.

The origin of this quote comes from Garland’s own experience as one of the most luminous yet tragic figures in entertainment history. From her early days as Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz to her struggles in the harsh glare of fame, she lived within the contradiction of dream and despair. Hollywood, the very place that celebrated imagination, also devoured her innocence. She saw firsthand how illusions, once sweet and bright, can turn to poison when mistaken for truth. Thus, her reflection becomes a universal warning: that dreams, when unbalanced by wisdom, can consume the soul, leaving one hollowed by disappointment when confronted by reality.

In her words, “dreams born of imagination” are not evil — indeed, imagination is the divine spark within humanity. It is the source of art, invention, and wonder. But when imagination gives birth to illusion, when we begin to worship our visions as though they were destiny, we begin to drift from truth. The illusion feeds on us — it draws from our energy, our passion, our time — until reality, like an unrelenting tide, comes to wash it away. Garland understood this with the painful clarity of one who had lived it: that reality is merciless in exposing falsehood, and that even the most beautiful dream must one day face the dawn.

The ancients, too, knew this truth. Consider the story of Icarus, who built wings of wax to reach the sun. His dream was magnificent — born of imagination, fed upon illusion. But when he soared too close to heaven, the sun’s truth melted his wings, and he fell into the sea. Icarus did not perish because he dreamed; he perished because he believed his dream could defy reality. Like Garland, he teaches that the balance between dream and truth is the essence of wisdom. To dream is noble; to forget the earth beneath one’s feet is perilous.

Garland’s lament also carries a deeper ache — the tragedy of time. For in chasing illusions, we waste what is most precious and most finite: our moments of living. We wait for life to match our fantasies, rather than embracing the beauty that is already before us. We imagine perfect love, perfect success, perfect happiness — and while we dream of these ideals, time passes silently, slipping through our fingers like water. Reality, when it finally arrives, feels like betrayal, not because it is cruel, but because it is real. The heart that learns to see beauty in imperfection, however, is never betrayed.

Yet within Garland’s melancholy there is also redemption. For her words do not call us to abandon dreaming, but to awaken within our dreams — to be dreamers who are grounded, to be creators who see clearly. The wise do not cast away imagination; they use it as a compass, not as a cage. The artist, the lover, the seeker — all must learn this balance: to let imagination inspire, but to let reality instruct. In this harmony lies the secret of peace.

So, O listener of life’s fragile music, take this lesson from Judy Garland’s sorrow and brilliance: cherish your dreams, but do not be devoured by them. Dream bravely, but wake wisely. Let your imagination build bridges, not prisons. And above all, guard your time, for it is the one treasure that cannot be reclaimed. Dreams that live in harmony with truth will lead you to creation, not despair. But dreams that defy reality will only fade — “put to death,” as Garland said, by the dawn’s cold light. So live awake. Love the world as it is, even as you reach for what it might be. For that, in the end, is the truest dream of all.