Joe's Garage

My dream took place in a freestanding garage with a padlocked main garage door and a built-in standard door inset in the main door. Upon entering the garage from the hot and lonely alley, a brief look around revealed many mementos and memorabilia acquired during a lifetime of travels.

As in many dreams, everything “changed”, morphed into a completely different atmosphere, without the perception that anything had really changed... The result was that the surroundings came to resemble a “club” or bar with some extra rooms and various entertainment games and such. Even a live band in one corner, by the dance floor, playing a lively and entertaining assortment of regional music styles. Great music! The general atmosphere resembled a tropical restaurant or club with a tropical motif and “feel”, which gave a powerful sense of being in an exotic locale somewhere in the world. A few dozen colorful people of many different ages were in the establishment in various places doing a variety of activities like talking, laughing, drinking, smoking, playing games, watching TV, kissing, etc.

As I made my way around the club, I came to realize that each of the people in the club had their own “story” to tell me and discussion ensued with each. Additionally, each person had some sort of physical “prop” such as a cane, an item of clothing, a hat, a watch, a compass or something acquired in an exotic location which went right along with the stories they told.

These combinations of interesting people, the item they held and the stories shared with individuals and the group gave an intense, vivid “show-and-tell” feel to the unique encounter and item with which they shared an interaction with Joe at some point during the almost mythical pursuits and travels of his lifetime.

Every one of those wonderful tales included a brief or extended encounter with Joe. Some of the stories exciting and fantastical, some impressive or educational. But, none of them boring or forgettable. Everyone talked about Joe as a true legend in his own lifetime. Honest, strong-willed and charismatic. A world traveler. A man’s man…

Each of these “props” with the people in the club today is one of the items of memorabilia that are, in actual fact, sitting around in Joe’s garage right now. It’s just that now, each of the items “came to life” with a story of its own and a real person associated with it, both of which were how and from whom the item was acquired by Joe.

During the several hours spent talking and interacting with all of the people in the club, many friendships (and some love relationships) were made between participants right here in the club today. On the other hand, one fine older lady recounted her very own whirlwind romance with Joe during an enchanted month decades ago on some beautiful islands off the coast of India, near the equator. The whole group got to be quite comfortable with one another, especially when they discovered that they too were recalling very memorable times surrounding Joe, in many beautiful locales around the world! It was quite exciting reliving the adventures as told by each participant. A lot of fun was had by all and nobody really wanted the adventure to end.

At some point, I left the club through the door in which I entered and was immediately out in the sunshine in the deserted alley. When I opened the door again, I looked around Joe’s garage and viewed all of the memorabilia sitting or hanging around the garage with a strange sense of knowing something about every single thing in that garage. There was a crack in the roof through which a ray of sunlight shone, highlighting the dust motes floating around the abandoned garage. When I closed the door for the final time, the feeling washed over me that Joe’s garage was quite a magical place and that I was much better for the opportunity to experience that wonderful adventure.

12/21/21 :: Based on M.C. Wells’ dream of 7/24/01