Tags
alternate universe, Coleridge, dreams, inspiration, interpretation, Kubla Khan, mind, understanding
Slow morning at the coffee club because of the weather. Ms. Anne Thrope and I sat at a table in the front of the shop, hoping to attract business, and talked over coffee while Strawberry Mgrdichian and Johnny Rabbit took care of the business we didn’t have.
“I’ve had some odd dreams the last few nights,” I said to Ms. Anne. “Last night I realized that I was dreaming about a corporation where I once really worked, but in the dream, someone fabricated my work record and I was fired. I also dreamed about a party with friends from long ago”
“That first dream sounds serious. What did you do wrong?”
“Nothing. They charged me with talking on the phone while using the computer. An Orwellian world that did not allow multitasking, I guess.”
“I’m not sure what to do with that, Doc. You say that you realized that you were dreaming?”
“Yes, I knew it was a dream and kept thinking, ‘that isn’t what happened. I left on my own free will.’” The shop stayed quiet. Strawberry cleaned around the flattop while Johnny probably watched TikTok videos.
“Did you change the direction of the dream? I’ve read a little about lucid dreaming,” she said.
“No, I wanted to see how the dream played out. A reincarnated Malcolm X showed up as a union organizer and we talked about the need for justice, though we agreed that my situation didn’t call for his services. And then I dreamed about people I haven’t seen in decades and we had a party. That dream seemed to balance the first one.”
“Let’s talk about dreaming in general, Doc. Do you dream often? How do you explain them?”
“I’ve always remembered my dreams, Ms. Anne. How about you?”
“I’ve been keeping a dream journal even before I worked with Mr. Saroyan. Now he was superstitious about dreams and talked about them. Of course, he talked a lot about everything.”
“Ms. Anne, I know people who claim they don’t dream, or they don’t remember them. I find that hard to believe.”
“I prefer to think that their memories are short, but I also think that dreams have something to do with the structure of our brains and with the more mystical entity that we call the mind.”
“So we’re going beyond the biology? I sometimes think dreams are portals to an alternate universe. Every dream we have has something to do with one of the zillions of alternate universes.” I touched on my fantasy of life on multiple alternate worlds.
“Could be. I have a friend who thinks that our minds organize thoughts and events through dreams. I prefer to think that our dreams are living mysteries. I take as my model, Doc, the writing of the poem ‘Kubla Khan.’ Coleridge dreamed the poem, began writing and was interrupted, then never found the ending. How many other dreams have been interrupted and swallowed like that?”
“I don’t know. I wonder, but I’ve had my last swallow of this coffee and ma’moul and need to look like I still work here, boss.” We laughed, cleaned the table, and moved back to our usual posts in the shop as Bernard Ockengham came in for an early lunch.