Thursday

Last night I had a dream. Or at least I remember the dream I had last night.

I attended an open house hosted by a blogger that I follow. I don’t know this person. But I feel like I do. That’s what blogs do, I guess: make friends out of complete strangers who are still, in fact, complete strangers. In my case, it’s a one-sided friendship.

But anyway.

In my dream she was having an open house for all of her blog followers. It was a generic invitation for thousands. And I, somewhat uncharacteristically, decided to attend.

I got there and I was, again uncharacteristically, the first one there.

She was still getting things together and rushing around her house making the last final touches to her open-house preparations. I decided that it might be kind of awkward to avoid her (not so uncharacteristic of me when it comes to “famous” people), what with me being the first one there and all. So I decided to strike up a conversation.

In real life, this person has experienced some incredibly hard things. In my dream, I decided to try to relate to her.

I said, (to the effect of)

“You know, I don’t know exactly how you feel. But, kind of. My appendix ruptured in a foreign country and I had to have emergency surgery. It was really painful. Not as painful as what you experience. But, it’s amazing how these things teach us empathy for others in painful situations, isn’t it?”

In my dream, I was walking about three steps behind her as she was rushing around and around her house in a literal circle. She would turn her head and kind of acknowledge me, with a look on her face like I was trying too hard. Like I said, I’m a little awkward.

And then I awoke.

Though we’ve never met in person, I’m pretty sure that’s not characteristic of this person.

But I’m left a little bewildered as to what it all meant.

Maybe I’ve put too much credence into the relatively minute trials that I have had…subconsciously thinking I know enough about it all to make me somewhat of an expert.

Or maybe I spend too much time subconsciously approaching life through the blog filter.

Who knows?

At any rate: As awkward as my “conversation” was, and as cliché as this theme is becoming on my little corner of the blogosphere, there’s much to be said about what we gain from the hard things we experience. And why some people experience much harder things than others, I’ll never know in this life.

But, I’m grateful for that what I have learned from my experiences…and for the way that they have helped me to gain empathy, a least on the lowest level, for what others have to go through. Friends, bloggers or not, a great blessing of humanity is the bond that can come through the human experience—even if it’s only in our dreams.