Saturday, August 27, 2011

Waiting for the Hurricane


...once saw a personal ad specifying, among other things, no baggage...obviously not looking for me....which is okay, since, I suspect, a person with no emotional baggage would have be either perfectly enlightened or boring...

...or both....once, talking to a shrink, expressed concerns about possible ill effects of overcoming depression...particularly on musical taste...asked if I could end up trading in Miles Davis and Lou Reed for Britney Spears and Mandy Moore...(this was ten years ago...insert appropriate poppy upbeat 2011 equivalents if you please)....he laughed, but didn’t exactly say no...

...had a version of that high school anxiety dream it seems everybody has...(y’know, walking the halls during finals week, realizing I’ve somehow forgotten to go to class all semester, and, in fact, am not even sure what rooms my classes are in...meaning that, even after all that higher education, I’m still in danger of failing high school)...

...(I’ve never had the showing-up-at-school-naked dream, but suspect that, metaphorically, it’s the same thing)...(like the dreams a friend said she was having, in which it turned out her divorce papers never got properly filed and she’s still married to her ex-)...(anyway...)...

...in this one, though, I’m at some kind of office job, realizing I haven't the slightest idea what I’m supposed to be doing, and getting a bit panicked about it...but, then, realizing I really don’t want the job, anyway...

...got an e-mail (in my spam folder) this morning reading Congratulations you have been chosen for Registry of Distinguished Women...(sic)....don't think I'm being overly humble in saying this honor was unexpected...

9 comments:

Meredith LeBlanc said...

True story: several years ago I went to the DMV to renew my driver's license. While waiting in line to avoid idle chit chat, I actually really looked & read my license. It said I was male!

It was kind of like the going to school naked dream, yet I didn't know I was having it.

Fortunately, the DMV employee took my word for the fact that in deed I am not male and corrected it.

Lydia said...

Your post really had me laughing and reading some parts out loud to my husband, who is in the living room playing guitar and singing the rallying call from Les Miz. Then Meredith's comment added to the frivolity.
I have that school dream, only mine is not in high school, but in college. It is terrifying.
I have regular dreams that various favorite cats of mine have actually been alive, never did die when I thought they did, and are now owned by other people who refuse to release them to me. It is a nightmare.
As for the person looking for someone with no baggage, good luck with that.

Brooks Hall said...

Yeah, just like sad songs are beautiful, there can be a preciousness to an individual's sadness. But I think that a true transcendence of depression might just include a wider view or broader vista—ya' know? It wouldn't be a rejection of the old ways or a total mind-wipe… I don't think that someone will become suddenly stupid, if they just allowed themselves be a 'lil happy, yo!

TheRiverWanders said...

C'mon. That email wasn't in your spam folder.

I had that dream about missing class all year, too! Twice, as a matter of fact. Now I have to google and see what it means.

I may need a beer first.

sukipoet said...

hope you are okay in the hurricane, which even down graded is pretty wild.

a person who thinks they have no baggage is probably loaded with it.

for a number of years i have dreamed that i voluntarily!! went through high school again. even though I had a advanced degree, i return in my dream to my old HS and sign up for classes!!

This is a recurring dream and I get closer to graduating eventually. I havent had it for awhile thank goodness.

I think it was a this time I will do it "right" dream.

Sondra said...

For many years, my dream was that my college degree was void after the University official changed names and conferences. I would wake up in a sweat.

If that were to happen today I would be cool with it, study something entirely different and tack on a graduate diploma.. (on their dime of course ;) )

PS LeBlanc, that is downright funny!

WR said...

A friend posted on FB: Sabrina Strong wrote: As Hurricane Irene prepares to batter the East Coast, federal disaster officials have warned that Internet outages could force people to interact with other people for the first time in years. Residents are bracing themselves for the horror of awkward silences and unwanted eye contact. FEMA has advised: “Be prepared. Write down possible topics to talk about in advance. Sports or the weather...."

Made me think of you! :)

the walking man said...

Does leaving HS after 3 & 1/4 years with a diploma count as a bad dream or a good time until enlistment day?

I have tons of emotional baggage but carry it well it all fits into one bag called pissed off.

earthtoholly said...

I love the first paragraph, drjay. Haha......obviously not looking for me... I purposely left (some of) my baggage, but FB found it. I'll leave it again, though.

During school, when I hadn't done homework or studied for exams, I'd have these really happy dreams...then I'd wake, and panic would set in. So, my dreams kinda set me up for reality, which was always chock full of school anxiety for one reason or another. Ack.

Beautiful pic, by the way.