A MOMENT OF CLARITY ~ GBE 21

 

 

This is a true story and it happened just short hours ago. I don’t remember where I was going or why. I remember that I was driving along when I suddenly felt very hungry. I saw a Chinese restaurant. Yum…I can eat Chinese food every day! So, I drove around to the back and parked.

As I entered the restaurant, I was pleased to see they didn’t appear to be very busy, so I chose a booth at the back of the restaurant because I have this stupid thing about not having my back to a room or a door. Duh…yeah…I know. I waited at a table for a server for what seemed like hours. I saw none. Yet I waited.

There was a young man at a table next to me. Soon, several friends joined him. There was room at his table for everyone, but his friends left him sitting alone at his table while they crowded into my booth. They scrunched me up against the wall while they jostled each other, laughing and taunting my protests. I tried to be polite, but my blunt personality finally broke through. I said “There must be 50 empty tables. Why are you crowding me? Will you PLEASE go sit somewhere else?” They laughed, jostled some more, then left me in peace.

Finally, a Chinese lady emerged from the kitchen. She came over to my booth to say it will be a while before I am served. She explains that the kitchen help is on strike and everyone else is in the kitchen preparing the food. I looked around and saw people eating. What’s up with that? I looked at my watch…it was only 20 minutes since I sat down. OK…so I realized I have been in a time warp…of sorts… It happens… But, I was so hungry that I asked her if I could have a bowl of soup while I waited. Thinking…”surely they have a pot of soup on the range”. Jeez….you would have thought I asked for the moon. She said “NO! UNION SAY NO FOOD. YOU LEAVE NOW! NO FOOD!”

WHAT????

Then, I was ticked off… I saw people eating! She was lying to me! I didn't ask why because ...WHY BOTHER? I had already lost my appetite.

In a huff, I started to gather my belongings to leave. Then things went from strange to bizarre…. I gathered and gathered my “stuff”. Funny… I didn’t remember bringing all of this stuff in. There were boxes of stuff, stacks of stuff and bags of stuff. I realized that I would just have to bring my truck to the front door to load all the stuff, but when I went out, I saw that someone built a swimming pool in the driveway that lead to the back parking lot while I was in the restaurant. How will I get my truck out? I called my nephew to help me. He walked around the other side of the restaurant and soon showed up at the front door with a rusted hunk of a pick-up truck. I told him that wasn’t my Trailblazer, but he said it was. Duh…what do I know? It was apparent that I was losing my mind anyway.

My nephew loaded my “stuff” in my truck while I paid. Why was I paying? I didn’t even get a glass of water. But, they gave me a check and I paid. Maybe I owed them for something that I forgot. While I was putting change in my wallet, I noticed that my driver’s license was missing. Did those boys get in my purse while they were hassling me? It was not where it belonged. It was then that I noticed my credit cards were all missing too. Sickness quickly spread from my brain to the pit of my stomach… I recalled how much trouble it was to deal with the loss of credit cards after my home was broken into several years ago. My mind screamed “NOOOOOOOOOO” while I frantically searched my purse. I like purses with many compartments, but it can be frustrating when looking for something. Finally, I located my drivers’ license, but no credit cards. Searching, searching…I did locate the credit cards in a pocket where they did not belong. I did inventory on credit cards…ok all there. Briefly, I wondered how they got there, but all were accounted for and I had bigger things to do. I moved on….

I checked back to my booth to make sure I got everything that I don’t remember bringing in. The booth was clear, but as I was leaving, I saw that someone had moved more of my “stuff” to two tables closer to the door. I was frustrated. People were watching and some were highly amused at my ever multiplying stuff. I was embarrassed, but I tackled the new mess of my “stuff”. The tables were full of stuff again, more on the table across the aisle, that threatened to topple, and also on the floor. I asked my nephew to help me get the rest of my “stuff”, secretly irritated that he didn’t get it the first time.

This new pile of stuff was old stuff from years ago…children’s toys, books and a bunch of other old things. Where did all this stuff come from? I don’t remember bringing it in the restaurant. We start looking at the stuff. My nephew reclaimed some of his childhood toys because, as he explains, they are collector items now… All I see is “STUFF”. A rather large heavy plastic bag gets my attention. It is clear plastic and I can see contents. More toys, but I see a tricycle. A rather large tricycle with metal wheels like back in late 18^th century or early 19^th century.
My nephew wants it. I don’t care…take it...  Take the whole bag.  Take it all! It’s JUST STUFF…  I DON'T WANT IT!!!

Frustrated…aggravated….tired…all I wanted to do was get in my truck that wasn’t my truck and go home…

Suddenly, I had an epiphany…I am in my bed ~ asleep… I can escape all this frustration by just opening my eyes… and turning on the light…  Because it is only a dream... 

Relief flooded my being.  I looked around at my bedroom. The dream exhausted me, but I dare not drift back into the shadows of sleep lest I dream of part 2. I am frustrated and do not want more of that dream…

Hmmm….coffee…Mmmmm....yeah…coffee…  I need coffee!

(HAHAHA...does anyone remember my coffee art blog last year?)

I think the author of Alice and Wonderland wrote the story from a dream…just sayin’… No rational, awake brain should be able to come up with this kind of bizarre fantasy…key word here being “should”… You psychiatric specialty types should have a ball analyzing me after reading this one….bwahahaha…

Have you ever been dreaming and suddenly realized that it is only a dream and all you have to do to escape the dream is to wake up? THAT is a moment of CLARITY!

By Darlene Cirinna

© March 22, 2010

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