When a dream is a dream is a dream …
January 9, 2012In the life of a ‘writer’ there is always the question of “what to write?” Usually there are more topics to cover and more thoughts to be explained than time or space will permit. BUT – then there are the ‘other’ days and ‘other’ times when the mind seems as dry as a Texas summer and the ideas as absent as an Iranian admission of terrorist activity. It is on such occasions that this ‘writer’ (and I choose to use the designation ‘writer’ rather loosely) usually types something that has happened in my own personal life.
At breakfast this morning Cleo asked if I slept well. Maybe it was an attempt to get my head out of the sports page. Or it could have been she was curious since I nearly pushed her out of the bed several times with my rolling and tossing in sleep. Or, to give her credit where credit is most likely due, after only fifty-six years of sleeping in the same bed, she really was curious about my night’s rest. Whatever the motive of her asking it was incumbent upon me that I give her an answer. Stated tersely it was, “not so well”. Following is a possible explanation –
Since I am a big John Gresham fan and have read every one of his published novels with the lone exception of his latest, The Litigator, (for which I am about 517th on the waiting list at the library), I watched with rapt fascination last night the premier episode of the new TV series based upon his first best-seller (but not his first book), The Firm. Then as is my habit, I watched the 11:00 news, spent 30 minutes reading, turned out the light, and ‘turned in’ for the night. I hardly ever have trouble falling asleep – for which I am extremely grateful – and I think such was my case last night. “Dreaming”, however, is another matter.
I may go many nights without being conscious of dreaming. Then there are other nights when I dream but upon awakening, I can’t remember their details. Sometimes, the dreams are as clear as can be and the persons, places, etc. are easily – and most times gladly – recalled the next morning. Then there are times like last night!! I dreamed, and can recall most of it, but none of it makes sense. The dream had to do with returning to some place that I had previously been. It appeared to be somewhere that I had attended school, but none of the ‘pictures’ coincided with schools I have attended. There were persons I should have known, but I did not recognize them. The dream – and it seemed to me to lasted all through the night – was in three sections: (1) I was “there”, looking around, trying to find my way, and was fascinated that nothing was as it had been before. Everything had changed! (2) There was a period of exploring – going into buildings, viewing what was transpiring, sensing that it was ‘familiar’ but at the same time not being able to personally identify with any of it. (3) Then I was involved – I remember almost being unable to climb steps that were outdoors; of having people speak to me because it appeared they knew me but I did not recognize them, and of being inside a building with a young couple with three babies. And that’s all I remember except feeling that the dream repeated itself over and over throughout the night.
Now I’m not into “dream therapy”. Neither do I aspire to the need to have every dream interpreted even though some would think that it is obvious that through my dreams my sub-conscience is trying to get a message to me. Certainly I believe the Biblical accounts of the Lord speaking in dreams and just as strongly believe that He can do that today if He so desires. But I do not see His initials on last night’s happening. What I do see is a night where sleep was not ‘sound’ and thus the reason of my answer to my wife.
But with all of that said, it can be stated with some assurance that the entire experience was not totally devoid of positive outcome. In a nutshell it provide me with material for today’s GEM (however insipid it may be) plus that fact that it kept me so busy throughout the night that I did not have to ‘visit’ the adjacent room a single time!! And for someone in my age bracket that’s a real PTL!!
Jimmy Jackson, January 9, 2012
