Something happened recently that hasn't happened to me in over thirty-six years.
Recently, I was driving on a narrow country road when my headlights showed in front of me a couple of people crawling along the road, as if looking for a contact lens. The one on the right's leg was outstretched to my right, and I swerved to miss them both. I didn't feel anything but when I glanced back in my rearview mirror the one with the outstretched leg seemed to be in pain, and the foot didn't look right. I didn't want to hurt anyone, but somehow I had. I was shocked and dismayed as I drove on, and after a little while it came to me that I'd just participated in a hit-and-run driving accident. I had to turn around and go back.
After another moment of hesitation I did--I turned the car around and went looking for my accidental victims. At this point it was starting to get lighter, and when I saw movement along the side of the road (near a baseball field as it happened) I stopped the car and got out, calling. The pedestrian called me back, greeting me by name, "Max!" I was surprised to see someone from my ward, and her daughter, apparently taking some kind morning jog or something. I asked if they had seen anyone with a hurt foot or leg, and they said no. I asked them to call me on their cell phones if they did, and I was about to get back in my car when another passer-by engaged me briefly in conversation (I forget exactly what), and then... I looked up in time to see the big dumpster behind which I had parked my car rammed by a huge semi truck driven by an annoyed driver, who apparently considered the dumpster to blocking the road. After ramming it, he then *shoved* the dumpster even further to the right, pushing it entirely off the road's shoulder. I hastened to get in my car so I could drive it off before the truck took offense to my car's positioning too (and I was definitely on the shoulder and not the road--I looked!) and then drove onward.
Around this time I became aware that something wasn't right. As I looked around the car, everything looked kosher for the most part--I could see fine in all directions, and I could move, but... something about the car's instrument panel was off. It was full of red and green little lights, more like an airplane than a car... and are cars supposed to *have* instrument panels??? At this point the unusual thing happened: I became aware that all the strangeness around me meant that I was actually in a dream. (Normally it never occurs to me until after I wake up.) As I resumed driving, I considered taking control of the dream and using it to manifest some old friends whom I love seeing, but for reason I didn't, and I drove onward looking for my erstwhile hit-and-run victims.
The last time I realized I was in a dream I was three to five years old, and I used the knowledge to escape from a cartoon snake that curled up to bounce itself like a spring from a pirate ship onto shore to chase me. (I pried my own real-world eyes open with my real-world fingers to get out of the dream.) This time, nothing quite so dramatic happened. I did become aware that I had a real-world body lying in bed, separate from my dream-world body whose hands were on the steering wheel, but there was nothing nightmarish to escape so I didn't.
Recently, I was driving on a narrow country road when my headlights showed in front of me a couple of people crawling along the road, as if looking for a contact lens. The one on the right's leg was outstretched to my right, and I swerved to miss them both. I didn't feel anything but when I glanced back in my rearview mirror the one with the outstretched leg seemed to be in pain, and the foot didn't look right. I didn't want to hurt anyone, but somehow I had. I was shocked and dismayed as I drove on, and after a little while it came to me that I'd just participated in a hit-and-run driving accident. I had to turn around and go back.
After another moment of hesitation I did--I turned the car around and went looking for my accidental victims. At this point it was starting to get lighter, and when I saw movement along the side of the road (near a baseball field as it happened) I stopped the car and got out, calling. The pedestrian called me back, greeting me by name, "Max!" I was surprised to see someone from my ward, and her daughter, apparently taking some kind morning jog or something. I asked if they had seen anyone with a hurt foot or leg, and they said no. I asked them to call me on their cell phones if they did, and I was about to get back in my car when another passer-by engaged me briefly in conversation (I forget exactly what), and then... I looked up in time to see the big dumpster behind which I had parked my car rammed by a huge semi truck driven by an annoyed driver, who apparently considered the dumpster to blocking the road. After ramming it, he then *shoved* the dumpster even further to the right, pushing it entirely off the road's shoulder. I hastened to get in my car so I could drive it off before the truck took offense to my car's positioning too (and I was definitely on the shoulder and not the road--I looked!) and then drove onward.
Around this time I became aware that something wasn't right. As I looked around the car, everything looked kosher for the most part--I could see fine in all directions, and I could move, but... something about the car's instrument panel was off. It was full of red and green little lights, more like an airplane than a car... and are cars supposed to *have* instrument panels??? At this point the unusual thing happened: I became aware that all the strangeness around me meant that I was actually in a dream. (Normally it never occurs to me until after I wake up.) As I resumed driving, I considered taking control of the dream and using it to manifest some old friends whom I love seeing, but for reason I didn't, and I drove onward looking for my erstwhile hit-and-run victims.
The last time I realized I was in a dream I was three to five years old, and I used the knowledge to escape from a cartoon snake that curled up to bounce itself like a spring from a pirate ship onto shore to chase me. (I pried my own real-world eyes open with my real-world fingers to get out of the dream.) This time, nothing quite so dramatic happened. I did become aware that I had a real-world body lying in bed, separate from my dream-world body whose hands were on the steering wheel, but there was nothing nightmarish to escape so I didn't.
--
I could not love thee dear, so much,
Loved I not honor more.
I could not love thee dear, so much,
Loved I not honor more.
