Beam Me Back Scotty
Beam Me Back Scotty
Not too long ago I wrote a piece about time travel, how one can travel to different times at night in one’s dreams. (“Why do you think they call them dreams?” 9-15-14). I talked about a friend who dreamed about being on a ranch where she was on horseback and in charge of a crew of handsome ranch hands. She felt “guilty” because she never even thought about her husband and children. I told her not to worry, that dreams are often opportunities for wish fulfillment, an innocent and completely harmless way to indulge yourself. I told her when I lay my head on my pillow at night, especially after a day filled with stress, I know I might be heading for an adventure in which I am the star, I am the hero, and I am loved and loving.
Lately I have acknowledged another wonderful feature of my brain. It takes place during the daylight waking hours, and though fleeting, takes me to a different time and place. Different than most of the thousands of thoughts that race through my mind during a typical day, these can best be described as “flashbacks.” Not to be confused with those “acid flashbacks” they warned us about if we took too much LSD (I’m still waiting for those), these are short episodes that only last a few seconds, but leave me with a sense of calm and peace, especially when I acknowledge them and devote a little more time to remembering where I was at the time.
The glimpses are always of a happy occasion, this morning for example I was at a theme park, walking down a wide asphalt walkway between rides. The air was warm, and trees covered the leafy path. I was with my wife, my daughter, my son and his wife and child. As quickly as it came, it was gone, but leaving a sense of calm and peace while I thought more about it. Then my English Muffins popped up and I had to refocus to get them buttered while they were still hot.
Other times I revisit a favorite restaurant in a small Connecticut town, a friendly place with great Italian food. We have stopped there a time or two when visiting the summer home we owned in northwest Connecticut many years ago. In more recent years I have taken my wife and children there to share a place that still holds a special meaning in my heart.
I mention this only because I know that if I experience it, you do as well, though you may not always recognize or appreciate it. Take a moment to acknowledge these precious moments when they occur, savor them, and you will find they increase in frequency. Take a moment to travel to a time and place in your past that brought you peace of mind. It can do that again for you, if you allow it.