A DARK AND STORY NIGHT

Where is Joseph when you need him? I have rarely been able to recall dreams for the last 40 years or so. But in the last few weeks I remember two or three a week. AND THEY ARE STRANGE.

I cannot recall the whole dream, only bits and pieces. I don’t know if it is something I ate. I know it is not something I have seen on TV. I have been a whirlwind of activity for the past week, and the dreams have gone on longer than that. No two are the same. I see no connection from one night to the next.

Last night (the parts I remember), I got a call to meet Brent in a theater in what I believed was downtown Portland. That in it’s self is strange since we worked together in Salem. The place looked nothing like Portland or any place recall. When I got in my car (one I have never owned) it was “a dark and stormy night.” In fact I could barely see. I know it wasn’t the rain as my wipers were not on and, but it was dark, very dark. In fact, I ran into a downed tree. That did not stop me as I drove right through it. I remember being surprised that no tree trunks or branches stopped me. I cannot remember how badly scratched the car became and I don’t think I even cared.

When I reached the theater I could not find Brent so I bought a ticket and went in. The inside of the theater was lighter than outside. Strange, and why would he want to meet inside with a movie already started? Strange. The room was sparse. I saw Brent right away. He was looking around for me. When he spotted me he got up and came toward me and we hugged like we had not seen each other in a very long time. It has been several years. He lives in Alaska now, but he interned with me for two years and his wife let him travel with me up the Inland Passage cruise to Alaska (my richer days).

He asked if I wanted to watch the movie or got get a cup of coffee. I remember wondering why I would want to watch a movie when we hadn’t seen each other for years. Maybe my movie addiction brought that on. We left the theater, I woke up got a drink of water, went to the bathroom and tried to get back to sleep. But instead of sleeping, I am writing about my dream. Strange.

I have never put much stock in the interpretation of dreams. If I had known Joseph, I am sure things would have been different. If this one had meaning, I sure don’t know what it was, but lets give it a shot.

Thinking of Brent meant good times were had. So I assume that means good times are coming. Good memories are going to be built. Traveling in the dark is a warning to stop waking up when it is dark and stop bumping into things. I broke a toe smashing it on the foot of the bed. That was the first bone I had ever broke. I guess the tree means I am about the face trouble, but I will sail through it unscathed (or it could mean watch where you are going). Meeting Brent in the theater is a sign of my film addiction, but since it was light it means I haven’t seen a film for weeks and haven’t missed it, as I would rather have a cup of coffee with friends.

If it doesn’t mean any of this I guess I had better watch what I eat before bed. However, I did like the slice of berry pie with ice cream that is in the forbidden food category. If that is going to bring on strange dreams, I just hope they continue to be as weird as the one last night.

Today’s assignment (reminds me of CBC days) is to finish this sentence. “It was a dark and story night when… Don’t let me down. These will be graded and it will be on the test. It’s always on the test.

A STRANGE DAY

This morning I learned how to make tea from coffee. It’s really very simple when you know the secret. First pour a nice fresh pot of water into the water well. Then remove yesterdays used filter (not everyone cleans up immediately) and clean the filter holder and put in a new, clean fresh filter. Finally add your normal amount of beans. And turn it on. It will produce a tea like fluid that looks exactly like tea and takes somewhat like boiled dirt. If you prefer to actually have real coffee, grind the beans first. So much for today’s helpful gourmet hints.

I awoke in the muddle of the night with a tickling sensation on my face. I did not have to visit the restroom (unusual as that may be) and looked up through my blurry and groggy half open eyes to see ivy growing over a wood like wall. Since it was annoying me so I pulled it down disposing it in the moat by my bed. I didn’t get it all so I reached up to pull down the remaining few leaves I could still see hanging over the wall. When the root hit me in the face, it was a strange substance unlike anything I’ve had on my face before. The root felt like it dented rather than breaking apart and spreading everywhere. It seemed like I was in my own bed but I could not recall a wall with ivy growing anywhere near me. None of this frightened me, but caused wonder and confusion. Maybe I wasn’t in my own bed? What was this ivy doing in my bedroom? I then turned over and went back to sleep. The tickling was over.

I didn’t even remember the dream I had until I made my bed (a strange event as well). There on the floor (in the moat) was this plastic ivy stuck into a foam florist block from an arrangement of ivy that had been sitting on my dresser. I had killed the beast and left it in shambles. It is good to know I can protect myself even while sleeping and do it without completely waking up. Yeah!

After breakfast I worked to balance my checkbook. I went into panic mode when I saw that in my records I was short $18 and would then be charged $35 for the overdraft. The bank said I still have $15 – a difference of, well there was a big different when you have little to start with). I had bought a new pair of pants from Fred Meyer the day before. I wanted a new pair for the services on Saturday and Sunday.

Because I had not yet pulled any tags off, I got dressed and sped along to Freddie’s. I explained that I had to return the pants because if I didn’t I would be over drawn on my bank account. The nice Freddy lady refunded me in cash and I sped my way back to my bank to deposit $45 (my refund and what was left in my pocket). When the statement came out of the magic money machine on the wall of Albertson’s Grocery Store it told me I now had $85. What? I was confused. I had no idea what happened but decided to wait until Monday to try and figure it out. If that doesn’t work I will call my daughter to come help me. When I panic, my numerical dyslexia goes into overdrive. I need to back off and return to the problem when the panic is gone. That might be now, maybe tomorrow, but I have others things I need and want to focus on right now.

I’m actually getting excited about preaching this weekend. I absolutely loved the classroom (I hated grading papers). I want to spend tomorrow going over the message and refining it. I am praying for freedom and that I will get rid of the thoughts that I am no good, not fit for ministry, of no ministry value any longer. It’s gong to be a great return to my roots.

Now about the day I had. I can’t stop laughing (really smiling to myself). It was strange. But I liked it.

WHAT DO YOU WANT TO DO WHEN YOU GROW UP

I knew what I wanted to be when I rather young. It wasn’t the typical kids thing: a policeman or a fireman. I definitely didn’t want to be a soldier. Nothing against soldiers but World War II was over and I was sure there would never need another soldier. They were calling it the war to end all wars. If I had a kids’ type dream it was to be a cowboy.

I watched all the Saturday morning westerns especially Hop-along-Cassidy, Gene Autry, and my favorite — Roy Rogers and Dale Evans. Did you know he never killed anyone? He could shoot any gun out of anybody’s hand. He also had Bullitt (his dog) and Trigger (his now stuffed horse). I don’t know why I wanted to be a cowboy. Maybe it was because we played cowboys all the time. I even hat a white cowboy hat.

The only thing I knew about cowboys was that they punched cattle (what’s that?) and protected good people from bad people. I did have dreams about living on a ranch. The dream was silly. I never really liked being on a farm and when I heard how much poop you had to shovel. Well, lets just say the glamour was gone.

My real more adult dreams came about at age 10 or 11. My first and highly practiced dream was to be a Hollywood stunt man. That’s because Austin (my best friend) and I wanted to fake fight and fall off tall buildings. I did not give a single thought to breaking bones. Neither did Austin. He proved it by jumping out of the second story window of our classroom. He limped for a long time.

My big dream, my secret dream was to be an architect, weird for grade school. The first time I looked at a house plans book I was hooked. While my friends were buying or stealing comic books most of my allowance was spent on house design books.

Most of the kids in my grade school went to Tech after eight-grade graduation. It was closer and consider easier. I chose Central, a pre-university school. I nearly died trying to get through the school listed as one of the top high schools in America. I should have gone to Tech. But I held on to my dream and went on to the University of Nebraska to reach my dream. I got exceptional grades in design. Not so much in math. My professor took me for coffee one day and told me straight out. Your math skills are so weak you will never be able to design anything over two stories. There are so many trying to get in the architectural field at that time that he doubted I would ever make it.

I was at a loss. What would I do? I was selling shoes part-time and my boss wanted me to quit school and come work full time. He did not know I was being encouraged to give up my dream. I parlayed the offer into the highest salary I could and settled to be a shoe salesman. I knew the company was expanding and they wanted to put me inline for managerial position in any part of the country I wanted.

Several months later I was coming out of church and told my best friend I was offered a managerial position in any state I wanted. I asked him to move to California with mw. He said he couldn’t, he was going to Canada to Bible School. Why don’t you come with me? On the spur of the moment I decided to go with him and had to get everything together in two weeks. I now had dreams of Canada. I was disillusioned. There were no mountains. The wind howled constantly. The land was flat enough to see my home back in Nebraska. The school was old and falling apart, and I had more students in my university classes than they had in the entire school.

None-the-less, it was what God wanted. I graduated and spent 37 years doing what I loved. I just didn’t know I loved it until I got found it. I did get to fulfill my dreams. They just changed.

Did you end up doing what you dreamed you would do as a child?