241 Sometimes I Surprise Even Myself

Self-awareness is a big deal--evolutionarily. Our brain also creates foresight, purpose, empathy, and a sense of fulfillment. The list goes on... emotions, love, disdain, anger, remembering targets for revenge, praise, admiration, etc.

Even a conscience!

What amazes me the most is that we can surprise even ourselves.

My dreamworld is a consciousness that is semi- and completely conscious (on some level) simultaneously, a de-consciousness both globally and via particular gaps.

You're your own stranger who does things you don't expect.

We've all been surprised by something that happened in dreams. Isn't that the cheap shot of nightmarea, e.g., the monster jumping at us, falling into an abyss, or driving that bridge that goes up until...well...? We all have our motifs.

It's a paradox when someone's surprised by something their own mind conjures up. After all, we're the ones doing the conjuring. How's that possible?

One explanation is a disconnect between our methodical left brain and our artsy-fartsy right brain. Sleeping, the bridging corpus callosum may decrease in neural activity, allowing our naughty right brain to blindside our left brain.

It gets weirder.

The reason this as one of my stories-of-the-day is because of a story from last night. It's a true story--kind of. "Kind of," because it's a story of what happened to me in my dream. (Aren't dreams fiction?)

There I was in my dreamscape, minding my own business, when someone told me a joke.

Paradox #1: I was surprised by someone telling me a joke.

In my dream I didn't get it.

Paradox #2: How can I not "get" a joke I created?

I told the "joker" (Mr. Right?) I didn't get it, and he explained it to me. Then I got it and found it funny.

Paradox #3: How can someone explain--or even need to--something to me in my dream, that explanation a product--somewhere--of my own mind? Why do I need explanations (via understanding something) of something I don't understand?

This takes surprise to another level. Not only surprised, I didn't even understand something that was presented as a joke I had created, then had myself explain it to me, thereafter "getting it."

I know how: I'm stupid and smart at the same time.

_____________

AUTHOR'S NOTES:

For Wednesday, August 28, Day 241 of the 2024 Story-a-Day Challenge

366 WORDS (without A/N)

Accompaniment photos were AI-generated but the punchline was not. Wow, tough room!

------

THIS CHALLENGE JOSHES ON, 366 PUNCHLINES AT A TIME.

There are currently three surviving prolific, royal, Vocal legumes still trading cows in the 2024 Story-a-Day Challenge:

• L.C. Schäfer, (Joker)

• Rachel Deeming (Smoker)

• Gerard DiLeo (Midnight Toker)

Read them. Support them. You can call them "Maurice."