Ever wonder why we dream the dreams we do? I know I sure do. They often seem so strange, disjointed and out of touch with one's daily life.
Just the other day a dream I had several years ago, when we lived in Falmouth, Kentucky, came to mind. I dreamed our little town was hit by a tornado and wiped out. Only, in my dream, our little town was a big city and I just sat in a tower by a picture window and watched it happen and escaped unscathed. The town (city) was flattened. I immediately went to the ambulance quarters to get the rescue efforts started. It was the natural place to go because, in the dream, I didn't have a wife, children or home. The ambulance quarters were totally destroyed. The ambulance was smashed and the top was ripped off. Everyone was extremely upset that the ambulance was unusable but I couldn't see any problem. A convertible ambulance worked for me. So we got in it, I started it up (I drive: I AM the Chief!) and off we went.
Just the other day a dream I had several years ago, when we lived in Falmouth, Kentucky, came to mind. I dreamed our little town was hit by a tornado and wiped out. Only, in my dream, our little town was a big city and I just sat in a tower by a picture window and watched it happen and escaped unscathed. The town (city) was flattened. I immediately went to the ambulance quarters to get the rescue efforts started. It was the natural place to go because, in the dream, I didn't have a wife, children or home. The ambulance quarters were totally destroyed. The ambulance was smashed and the top was ripped off. Everyone was extremely upset that the ambulance was unusable but I couldn't see any problem. A convertible ambulance worked for me. So we got in it, I started it up (I drive: I AM the Chief!) and off we went.
Dreams are wonderful, mysterious, life enriching things. That is, until you drop and break them. I hate broken dreams. Like when someone wakes you up in the middle of a really good one. I go back to sleep but, try as I may, I can never seem to finish that particular dream. At least, not finish it like I sensed it was going to end. It never seems to come out right once it is broken. And we all have plenty of broken dreams in our lives.
It is difficult deciding what to do with a dream once it is broken. We poor humans have tried and discovered that we can't fix them once they are broken. They are lost forever. We carefully gather up all the pieces and tenderly try to patch them together. But, like a jigsaw puzzle with too much sky, it is almost impossible to get all the pieces to fit exactly as we sense they should. And dreams are so fragile. It doesn't matter what kind of glue we use and how careful we are, the delicate parts can never again be a whole.They look and feel just like what they are… a patch job. It all seems so sad.
While driving to Lexington several years ago, I passed many beautiful, expansive, expensive, perfectly kept horse farms. Each had a name proudly displayed out front on a fine, professionally painted sign. As is my habit, on the drive home I took a different route. Going a different route is just one of my insignificant attempts to keep from being bored and boring. On this return trip I passed an entirely different set of farms. One tiny "farm" had a rather dinky sign out front proclaiming its name to be, "OUR DREAM COME TRUE." Good for them! How wonderful! Their dream came true and they were smart enough to realize their good fortune, to enjoy it and proclaim it to the world or at least that part of the world that travels Cane Run Road and can read.
I am sorry to report that I find it easier to list my broken dreams than to celebrate my dreams that have come true. Broken dreams? I have bunches of them. I was not an All American college football player. I did not attend or graduate from a prestigious law school. I am not the U.S. Senator from the great state of Kentucky. Not all of my relationships have turned out as I had hoped. The truth be told, none of them really have. I am not the Pastor of the largest and most influential Protestant Church in North America, or even Ohio. I have not had a book published that hit the best seller list. I am not the world's greatest son, father, husband, pastor, friend, counselor or person. I am not even particularly good at any of those things. I have tripped and fallen and dropped and broken my share of dreams. So sad. Broken dreams are sad. You know that. You have your list just as I have mine.
But we also have our dreams come true. That, too, is an impressive list. But I won't bore you with my multitude of successes. What I find interesting is that the most wonderful dreams that have come true in my life are the dreams I have never dreamed. Dreams like: having children that I love beyond what I ever imagined as my ability to love; to share and have shared life in its most magnificent and most dreadful times with some of the most marvelous people in the world; to have learned to love and truly care about other human beings; to have been loved; to have experienced being used to heal a wounded heart or spirit and to have introduced some folks to a God that loves them. Wonderful dreams I couldn't even envision much less dream.
As I "row, row, row my boat gently down the stream," I am discovering that life is not a dream. But I hope to keep on dreaming. These dreams we have and share are still mysterious, wonderful and life enriching things. Our lives would be diminished without them. Yes, we are better off for dreaming. I suspect that without our dreams we would become rather bland, lack direction, and possibly lose our souls.
I, for one, will keep on dreaming. Please excuse me if I drop one on you and cause you any hurt or inconvenience. I can assure you it wasn't intentional. It is just that when it comes to dreams, I am just a little clumsy.
Copyright © 2011, William T. McConnell, All Rights Reserved
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