After the World Trade Center attack on 9/11, when the US declared war on "terrorism", I had a strange dream one night about starting a new job as a bartender in one of those country bars where most people just drink beer and wine coolers - kind of a run down, shabby building but the kind of place where the music gets loud and the people get "happy" as the night wears on. But this was my first day and it was early yet and still daylight outside - there weren't any customers yet, we were just opening up and there a was a woman showing me the ropes.
Once she got me settled in she went to leave but returned after a few moments to tell me, "They're here". "Who? The customers?" I asked, not knowing who she meant. "Well, you asked me to tell you when they get here so I'm just letting you know they're out there now." She answered, and then she left.
I didn't remember asking her to tell me anything so I went outside to see who and what she was talking about. She was already gone by the time I reached the parking lot out front but off to one side of the building I could see soldiers walking through the woods heading up the hill. I walked over and waved to them, a few waved back, and then I noticed something small and fluttering out of the corner of one eye. Out of curiosity I turned to see what it was but it disappeared momentarily behind a tree and I quickly dismissed the idea that it looked like a mouth and decided it must have been a butterfly. Just then it reemerged from behind the tree, fluttering erratically as it flew, like a butterfly does, and I continued staring as it fluttered closer and closer to me.
Someone was saying something as I continued staring at what appeared to be a mouth, flutter-flying like a butterfly, and coming toward me. Suddenly it was right in front of me and I realized it was indeed a fluttering mouth and that it was speaking and it was talking to me. It was saying:
"I asked my buddy and he said it's not that bad - what do you think?"
I just looked at him and smiled in a sad but understanding way. "It's not that bad." I replied.
The mouth paused momentarily and the corners turned down as if he was starting to understand but I said, "All you need is a mouth to praise God", and then the soldier smiled heartily and repeated those words and then continued fluttering up the hill whooping and hollering as he went.
I feel like I had that dream because of the guilt I felt over being "pro" the war against terrorism, even though I could hear that nagging little inner voice saying: wait, slow down and think abut this, but I was just so angry.
ARC
Once she got me settled in she went to leave but returned after a few moments to tell me, "They're here". "Who? The customers?" I asked, not knowing who she meant. "Well, you asked me to tell you when they get here so I'm just letting you know they're out there now." She answered, and then she left.
I didn't remember asking her to tell me anything so I went outside to see who and what she was talking about. She was already gone by the time I reached the parking lot out front but off to one side of the building I could see soldiers walking through the woods heading up the hill. I walked over and waved to them, a few waved back, and then I noticed something small and fluttering out of the corner of one eye. Out of curiosity I turned to see what it was but it disappeared momentarily behind a tree and I quickly dismissed the idea that it looked like a mouth and decided it must have been a butterfly. Just then it reemerged from behind the tree, fluttering erratically as it flew, like a butterfly does, and I continued staring as it fluttered closer and closer to me.
Someone was saying something as I continued staring at what appeared to be a mouth, flutter-flying like a butterfly, and coming toward me. Suddenly it was right in front of me and I realized it was indeed a fluttering mouth and that it was speaking and it was talking to me. It was saying:
"I asked my buddy and he said it's not that bad - what do you think?"
I just looked at him and smiled in a sad but understanding way. "It's not that bad." I replied.
The mouth paused momentarily and the corners turned down as if he was starting to understand but I said, "All you need is a mouth to praise God", and then the soldier smiled heartily and repeated those words and then continued fluttering up the hill whooping and hollering as he went.
I feel like I had that dream because of the guilt I felt over being "pro" the war against terrorism, even though I could hear that nagging little inner voice saying: wait, slow down and think abut this, but I was just so angry.
ARC
