Trash and Treasures

Joselyn found herself in a dumpster, anxiously digging for something while using all the curse words at once. Then it struck her that she had no clue what she was looking for. This realization paired with the pungent aroma made her chuckle, since that was a suitable metaphor for her life. Standing knee-deep in the neighborhood filth, unsure of what she was searching for- now that was poetic! Joselyn’s twisted but upbeat perception of life helped her get through tough times. As she kept digging, she slowly realized she was dreaming. She then saw a small black notebook laying open on the other end of the dumpster. The open page read, “You must abolish all fear to receive the true gifts of life”.

Joselyn woke from her dream at 3:33 a.m., just as she had for the past 4 years. She impulsively shook Kat awake to tell her of the dream, but Kat grumbled and continued sleeping. Joselyn should have known better, but she felt restless and couldn’t shake the imprint of the dream.

Joselyn and Kat, a young married couple who made a living as housekeepers, met a few years back during a rough patch in their lives. They had a passion for discovering and experimenting with natural remedies and learning how a holistic approach to health affected the overall human experience.

After years of no dreams and lots of research, Joselyn was beginning her second week of a raw plant-based diet and minimal electronic usage. She began to notice a correlation between her lifestyle change and the lucidity of her dream. She missed those colorful dreams she had as a kid and sensed this new way of living might change her whole life.

Given the chaotic state of the world, Joselyn and Kat had lost a lot of work, so they considered that the dream could be a good sign of a financial gift! Together they decided to begin a fearless journey to seek the best version of themselves, following and investigating every intuitive nudge. They made a pact to listen to their hearts no matter what, no matter how crazy, just to see where it would take them.

Joselyn’s eyes shot open, landing on the familiar numbers 3:33. Another dream remembered, and this one left such an emotional impact that she knew there must be meaning to it. The short and sweet dream took place in a dusty, humble old house. Robin Williams sat at a computer desk sitting in front of a window, where a clock hung on the wall overhead. He welcomed her to sit down with his gentle, caring eyes. He motioned toward the keypad, encouraging her to write. She felt unsure of herself, so he put an arm around her and gave her a big brotherly squeeze. She felt like she was sitting with an old friend who she’d been missing and felt instantly comforted and reassured.

She wondered about the significance of Robin Williams, and why she was crying. By 5 a.m. Joselyn was well through her research of the adored but misunderstood American actor and comedian. In her attempt to make sense of it, she came across an intimate quote of his that stood out to her. It read, “I want to help people be less afraid”. Those words echoed inside of her. Just then she noticed an ad on the computer for a work from home writing position. Joselyn remembered the computer from her dream, so in the spirit of following her heart, she applied.

After a few days without a call back, Joselyn began to lose inspiration. Another cleaning job had already cancelled that morning, but just then Kat picked up Joselyn’s phone which was vibrating underneath their couch. Kat spoke into the phone, “No we didn’t apply for any work from home positions. Wrong nu—". Joselyn shot across the room and excitedly intercepted the call. She was quickly let down when the woman on the line told her there was an error in processing her submission. Deflated, Joselyn made small talk while the woman worked on the issue. The dogs relentlessly barked in the background and Joselyn excused herself to quiet them. The woman, Layla, giggled and asked about her dogs. It began a conversation about the difficulties of keeping a clean house, and Joselyn’s housekeeping work. Layla, who worked from home, needed major help in that field.

Joselyn felt surprisingly optimistic and was enjoying their conversation. Within minutes they had a coffee planned to talk more about maintaining their home life during the crazy times. Forgetting all about the writing gig, Joselyn excitedly scrambled around the house to get dressed and write out a home-care plan for Layla to follow. She was eager to follow the intuitive nudge again, and this time to help someone. Joselyn filled Kat in, bundled up, kissed everyone, and headed out the door to meet Layla.

Five minutes down the road, Joselyn took a right and passed an alley where she saw a small boy standing beside a dumpster. She kept driving, knowing she must follow her heart to that coffee shop. The further she drove, the more she thought about that little boy. Using all the curse words at once, she reluctantly turned around and raced back to where she’d seen the boy. By this time, he was climbing the dumpster, so Joselyn parked the car and ran across the road.

She helped the boy down and asked where his mom was. He said she was still sleeping, which was a little alarming considering his age. She asked him why he was climbing the dumpster, but a tiny, muffled cry answered her question. It was the unmistakable cry of a kitten in distress. Joselyn looked up at the sky letting out a childish sigh of frustration. She knew this would alter her plans for the afternoon, and that she could not take on another household pet. The boy said the cat belonged to his neighbor, an old woman named Ms. Patsy. This didn’t solve the issue of being late, but she was relieved she wouldn’t be taking the kitten home.

As Joselyn lowered herself into the dumpster, she heard Robin Williams’ words, “I want to help people be less afraid”. The words had been floating around her head all day, and now they came from the pit of her stomach. Then she felt a familiar feeling, almost as if time had paused- a feeling she often had as a kid. As the kitten’s cries grew louder, she began ferociously digging, when she noticed the connection to her first dream. She then spotted the fuzzy damsel in distress, who seemed to be uninjured. She asked the boy for his name and he cautiously replied, “Marky”. Joselyn told Marky he should be proud for saving the kitten and they walked together to apartment number 3, to return Ms. Patsy’s tiny friend.

A dusty clock hung over the computer desk in front of the window in the study of Ms. Patsy’s apartment. There was something familiar about that desk. The clock read 3:33 and Joselyn realized she had been sitting talking with her new friends for almost two hours! She learned that Ms. Patsy kept an eye on Marky and other neighborhood kids, and Marky often helped her take care of her kitten. Joselyn gave Ms. Patsy her number, looking forward to future talks.

Joselyn finally understood her dream about the dumpster and how it had led her to the boy, the kitten, and Ms. Patsy. It was in those moments, rather than the planned ones, that Joselyn found peace and wonder, like she did as a young kid. She had already received the promise of the little black notebook. She hadn’t yet met her third friend, Layla, but least she’d have a great story to tell by the time they had coffee. That was truly all Joselyn had been looking for all along- something to give more meaning to her life.

As she walked back to her car, Joselyn remembered she had left it running for the past two hours. The car had died and was out of gas. This didn’t surprise her because it was, again, typical of her life. Joselyn wasn’t angry this time, so there was no slew of curse words or disgruntled childish sighs. Joselyn knew that today everything was happening exactly how it was supposed to.

She left her car and walked back to Ms. Patsy’s apartment. While passing the dumpster again, something stopped her in her tracks. She had no idea why she felt the urge to climb into the dumpster again, but the nagging feeling wouldn’t leave her. So, in the spirit of following her heart she jumped in, hoping no one was looking.

There it was. The little black notebook. Goosebumps ran from the top of her head down to her toes, and she sat in awe amongst the familiar garbage. She slowly grabbed the book, almost afraid to see what was inside. She noticed a thick envelope sticking out of one of the pages. She opened the book to the inside cover, which displayed the name, ‘Patsy M.’ followed by a few notes of encouragement written by others. Joselyn already knew she was meant to meet Ms. Patsy that day, but this gave the day even more meaning. Holding the envelope in her lap, she quickly flipped through the pages. A small clipping of an article fell out, from the previous year, which Joselyn immediately recognized. Those special words that had been with her all day were staring right back at her.

“I want to help people be less afraid”.

She couldn’t believe it! That was the same quote she had read that morning and somehow, she knew Robin Williams’ compassionate words had guided her to that moment. Then a thought softened her excitement. She realized that his words had helped her feel less afraid that day- less afraid of financial insecurity, being herself, and mostly importantly, less afraid of venturing into the unknown. His words gave her the inspiration and courage to seek out those exciting hidden corners of life, leading her to find more than she expected. There was something special about that day, and she knew it was just the beginning of something big and beautiful.

Joselyn remembered she was still holding the envelope that probably belonged to Ms. Patsy. She climbed out of the dumpster in her happy daze, to return Ms. Patsy’s belongings. Kat was going to get an earful that afternoon whether she liked it or not.

When Joselyn returned, Patsy was already standing in her doorway, as if she knew she was coming back. Joselyn, worried she might sound crazy if she spoke about her dream, simply told Ms. Patsy that she had found her belongings in the dumpster. As Joselyn handed over the belongings, she noticed a look in Ms. Patsy’s eyes.

Ms. Patsy handed the envelope back saying, “this is yours”. Joselyn argued but Ms. Patsy replied, “I knew I’d be seeing you today and that my notebook would find it’s way back to me. This envelope is for you to take home to your family. I have to rest now, but I’m looking forward to seeing you next time.”

Ms. Patsy winked and closed her door, leaving Joselyn standing there dumfounded. Her car was still dead so she called Kat, who didn’t answer the phone. The curiosity was eating her alive, so she opened the envelope. What she found gave her such a jolt that she dropped the envelope and hid her head in her hands. Inside the envelope was $20,000.

This was more money than Joselyn had ever seen, but for some reason the money seemed insignificant to her. There was something else pressing on her mind and heart. She couldn’t shake the feeling that Robin Williams had a lot more to say to the world. This would begin her next journey into the unknown.