A strange dream

It was a familiar enough setting. I was in my neighbor's yard. But the house was gone, and in it's place was an old bed. It had thick white blankets, but it had been rained on many times. A few old brown, rotting leaves were laying on top. The trees had been thinned so I could look over and see the pond shimmering from the yard. It was twilight and everything seemed a bit mystical. I remember looking at this magnolia tree. It was totally covered in huge golden buds and had a few enormous white flowers. There was also a dog just across the lawn. He was wearing clothes and had skin on his face. He began talking in a human voice. I was really beginning to enjoy it, but a sense of uneasiness came over me. I walked over and talked to my friend who was there. He is a peculiar old man with a long white beard. I guess he sort of looks like a wizard and I began to get the feeling that I was in a bit of a magical world. I wasn't sure if what I was seeing was real or not so I began to make a recording of the flowers with my iPhone. Then I hit replay on the video. But rather than seeing the flowers, I saw a video of myself. Walking in the snow, completely drunk, groping some girl, and in the process I could tell I hurt the feelings of an old friend, whom I almost dated a few years ago. She just left crying, looking at me. I knew something was wrong, so I went to the only logical place I knew to go. The only people I truly trust - My parents. When I walked in, my mom was taking my Dad's blood pressure. I said something to the effect of I need to talk to you guys, I am nervous. Mom mentioned to dad that she would have to take his blood pressure later as the reading was going to be skewed. I think I gave them a hug or sat down and woke up a few moments later in complete darkness.

I would ordinarily have dismissed the dream as some fanciful outcropping of my own subconscious, or had doubts about reality, but I had read some verse earlier in the day about God speaking to us through dreams if we just listen. So, after coming to terms that it was just a dream, I began to reflect on it.

It was startling to see that perspective of myself - an ordinary slovenly drunk. What I took away was a simple message: that even though I may see myself doing one thing, in reality someone may see my actions in a completely different light, it also made me realize that even if I want to view myself as a free spirit I can't really avoid the fact that people are still going to care about me regardless of what I do - that the decisions I make are going to effect the lives of those closet to me.