Sorry about the MIA days...Finals started. I have a couple dreams to add, which strangely both involve church. I had the first two nights ago the second last night.


The first dream began with a great deal of excitement, people milling about wildly prior to Mass. The reason? The Pope. Evidently, he was to celebrate the Mass for which I was preparing the music. It seems like the service might have been during some sort of retreat, but I'm not for sure on that one. Anyhow, the Pope came, and Mass began as usual. During it, I spoke with my high school theology teacher, Mr. McMullen, and my father. They were just--around. Then came the homily.

Appalling, horrifying blasphemy--The Pope's homily was unbelivably wrong. I'm not quite sure what it entailed, but I know he addressed a difference in two things, one "more important" than the other. He had them completely reversed, and I could not believe my ears. Immediately, I scrambled through my Bible, finding the passages that would disprove what he said. I consulted my father and religion teacher to make sure I wasn't wrong; they, too, could not believe what they heard. At this point, I stood in the back of the church, watching in horror, awaiting the completion of the homily. During this time, I noticed that the texture of my Bible had changed; its cover was smooth and flexible, its pages few. Regardless, as the Pope finished his speech, I along the left wall of the church to the front and waited for the conclusion of the Nicene Creed. During his last few words, I became suddenly aware of how clear his speech was. He had no noticeable accent, and his voice was young and strong, not worn with age as it truly is.

"Let us offer our prayers to the Lord," the Pope said. The petition-reader opened her mouth to read, and...
"Stop! Stop for a minute; I have something to say," I began. "The Pope's homily was blasphemy." The crowd gasped. Bible in hand, I addressed point by point just how wrong the Pope's lecture had been. At the end, all sat silent, eyes fixed upon the robed man. He rose from his seat.
"Paul, you're right. I can't believe how wrong I was. I can't believe I said those things..." He continued, but I'm not sure what he had to say.
I awoke, laughing.


My second dream involves church, as well.

Sr. Mary Daniel O'Keefe, Dean of Arts and Sciences for the freshmen here at BC, was the celebrant. Let's start there. Before Mass, many of those who would attend were gathered in a hollow, cathedral-ceilinged room, beautifully and elaborated decorated with scrolled marble on all sides. I have no idea what we discussed. Mass eventually began.

When the homily came, Sr. O'Keefe approached it as a discussion, asking questions to the congregation. She asked one fairly complex question, to which no one knew the answer. I contemplated it, and came up with a response. When she called on me to answer, the dream's scenery changed to a sunny day over a beach, crystal clear sky above, palm trees waving in the wind. A long dock stretched before me, to which was tied a punt. It was a small scene, and my view of it seemed to make it appear as if on a screen. Don't ask. Anyhow, an IM box appeared in the air, and I typed and spoke my response to the question, an answer with which all agreed. We returned to Mass. Everything continued, but I recall the IM scene once more, and I know I awoke with the image of beach imprinted on my eyelids. That's it.

 
Sorry--I missed a night. I'll add it now...but I don't remember anything from LAST night...

I was standing in a large room, decorated with ornate colums and stonework. In the center stood a single wooden table, certainly nothing extravagant. I searched the room and found myself shortly thereafter speaking Spanish with another person. After some talking--I have no idea about what we spoke--two Korean people entered the room and stood near the table, speaking. I could understand a little of what they said, and that made me happy. Short, pointless dream.

The other one is more my normal.

At the beginning of the dream, my Aunt Dianne was preparing a circus in her home. We kept having to get cages for all the animals out of a vast closet and placing them in the room. I actually think we were involved with the animals, but I can't recall that for sure. Anyhow, at some point I remember sitting on the floor of a bedroom, which was very brightly lit, and talking with my cousin, Melanie, about a packet I had written about how the circus will have to run. She thought it was great. However, we were all worried because the bears hadn't arrived yet, and when I went to look for a cage for them, I couldn't find one. They were too big for the cages in the closet, so we had nowhere to store our performing bears. Dianne mentioned that they were harmless, trained, dancing bears, but I didn't believe her. We needed a case. At some point I remember looking through a pile of papers for the packet I had written and finding it after a few minutes of searching. Melanie still sat on the floor on the opposite side of the room. That's about it.

 
A funny dream from last night...

I know this dream began with me as a youngster, fighting with another little kid. In the midst of our scuffle, I must have hurt the other boy pretty bad, because the next thing I know, I was in the custody of the police. They brought the little kid in, but he didn't realize that it was me, because I was now older, as I look now.
With me facing forward, they asked, "Does this look like him?"
The boy remained silent for a moment, before replying, "I don't know." Next, they asked me to turn sideways, so the child could examine my profile.
They asked again, "Does this look like him?"
Again, he replied, "I don't know."
The officer looked perplexed, but quickly said, "Look, if you don't recognize him from THAT NOSE, then it can't be him."
But it was me. I knew it. I confessed.
"It was me. I just don't look like I used to," I said.
"It's okay. He didn't recognize you, so it doesn't matter. Don't worry about it." All was well, and I awoke, laughing about the nose comment.