Feb. 27, 2002 - 14:27 MST

THE WONDERING JEW

Parallel Realities

I had a dream. It happened in 1988 after my antidepressive medication was determined and the dosage fixed. Nothing unusual that one should dream, but it was quite some dream to me. And if it wasn't in technicolor, my mind colored it in.

Still not unusual, but from time to time it recurs with no discernable cause.

My dream follows:

I am walking on a balmy afternoon along the creek that runs through our town admiring the trees and the thread of water down in the creekbed. Along the way I spot a shopping mall where long ago the truck farmers near town used to bring their produce for the grocers to buy early in the mornings. It piques my interest, I back track along the boulevard until I get to a bridge across and walk down to the mall.

It is fairly new and sparkly. I walk down it looking in the store windows seeing nice things on display. At a store, being interested in their merchandise, I step in. The lights are lit, there is merchandise on the stands and shelves. Even though I, "Hello, anyone here," several times nobody comes from the back to wait on me.

Along the line of stores I soon come to another store that has something in the window that I would like to have and step in there. It was the same way. Lights on and neatly kept with nice new merchandise, but no one would answer my, "Hello."

I was still near where I started so I went back and began to go into every store, back and forth across the street. It was the same way in each one. Lights on, air conditioning working, displays of new things, just no one there. There were no people walking on the street or in the stores, just me. No cop walking the beat, no cars on the street -- just me alone.

I didn't get disturbed, but curious. So I kept on walking down the street checking each establishment on the way, both sides of the street. I was faced with the same at each place. I did notice a big place which was on each side of the street and across the end of it too. It was brightly lit, banners streaming from every projection. Still there was no sound or soul about. Just me.

I dutifully checked each place on the way, with the same results. My curiousity grew apace. I stepped on the red carpet to the door of this big fancy establishment and entered. Gorgeous merchandise on display, I wandered the aisles looking at stuff, no one approached me and I gave the usual, "Hello, anybody here ?" and got the usual non-response.

I slowly walked back out of that place, looked back where I had entered. There was no sign of life yet. Just me. Me alone, solo. I stood out there pondering, lit a cigarette and thought, "Well, that's about it," and walked off the scene. Blackout, curtain closes it would seem.

I told my dream to my therapist and got the Psycho-socko, "What do you think it meant ?" It doesn't drive me batty, or worry me. It just comes around now and then, as if to say, "Solve me!"

Now isn't that a heck of a way to spend a nights sleep ? I sometimes wonder if I am among people in one and alone in the other of Parallel Realities . . . . . . .

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