Category: dreams

Posted in dreams

Navigating Dreams and Reality: Finding My Way

Posted on by William Douthwaite
Photo by Scarbor Siu on Unsplash

One of my recurring dreams is not being able to find a place where I need to be. In my dream, I’m wandering through a school, unable to find the next class on my schedule. Or I can’t find the room where I’m to take a test. Or my locker in halls lined with thousands of them. Sometimes I’m driving through a neighborhood and can’t find the house I’m scheduled to visit. Of course, I’ve only got a minute or two to find the right place. I always wake up before I reach my destination.

I experienced this in real life when I arrived for a bible class at a church on Thursday morning. I parked where other cars were parked and thought it would be easy to find my way to the location. But I only found locked doors and dark hallways.

Was this the right day? Was I at the right location? I brought up an email newsletter on my phone and confirmed the time and place.

Hmm. Let me try another entrance. I walked around checking door after door. No luck.

I drove around the other side of the building, parked in front, and went to the main front entrance. Surely they could help me. And the receptionist did. “Just follow me.” We wound our way through twisting hallways, past many doors and rooms, and finally arrived at the right spot. On my own I’d still be wandering those passageways!

It was just like my dreams. Except in real life, I found the place!

Posted in dreams, Stories

Expensive chocolate!

Posted on by William Douthwaite

As my friend and I chatted over the last of our coffee, I absent-mindedly peeled open one of the foil wrapped chocolates the waiter had left on our table and popped it in my mouth. “Wow, that’s delicious!” I said. “Want yours?” He shook his head, so I went ahead and enjoyed the second one.

The breeze gently rustled the umbrella over our poolside table. Our waiter took our plates and left the check. I picked it up, quickly glanced at it, but then took another, longer look. Seventy dollars? That can’t be right. Oatmeal, omelette, side of bacon and a couple of cups of coffee. There must be some mistake. When our waiter passed by I asked, “Are you sure this is right?” He took a quick look and pointed out that the chocolates were $25 each! Really? They were good, but not that good! I thought they were free, just like the little Andes mints at Olive Garden.

When I took the check up to the register to pay, I mentioned that the price of those chocolates was a bit steep. The manager pointed to a little sign by the register in very tiny print, “Chocolates, $25 each.” Fine. I handed him my card. He slid it through the machine, handed it back to me, and then said, “Uh-oh. I’ll have to slide that again.”

“Not so fast,” I said. I pulled out my phone and opened up my bank app. “No way I’m going to pay for this meal twice!” I want to see if that charge was on my account before I let him try again.

And then I woke up. Yes, it was another of my recent, vivid, unusual dreams. I think taking melatonin to help me sleep also revs up my mind’s dream factory. But I’m always going to check twice before I eat some chocolates!