Dreaming with my Characters

Last Saturday morning, just before I woke up, I had the strangest dream. Populated with a mix of real life people (some of whom I haven't seen in over a decade), actors making guest appearances as mystery characters (Bradley Whitford, in a testimony to my late night sessions with The West Wing) and a senator I find thoroughly abhorrent, its foundation in the previous 24 - 48 hours of my life was readily apparent. The dream itself -- one of only a few I could remember in its entirety -- was also fairly uncomplicated, its threads weaving together into a wonderful validation of things I didn't quite realize I was questioning.

The dream (and my interest in it) got me wondering what my characters dream about, so I thought I would check in with Marita and company to see what they've dreamt about lately.

Bets: "Ooh, fun! I'll start."

Marita (laughs): "Of course you will."

Bets (makes a big deal of clearing her throat): "Actually, I had one the other night with all of my favorite things in life in it. I'd been tapped by Lin-Manuel Miranda to play Eliza in a touring company of Hamilton and I was killing it -- of course! After the show, this tiny blonde came backstage, introduced herself as an agent and gave me her card. She raved over my performance, and told me she wanted to represent me, but only if I dumped Trevor. I asked her how she knew anything about my personal life. Then, Trevor came into the dressing room with a huge bouquet of roses and just as I jumped up to hug him, I woke up."

Charli: "Did you get to hug him?"

Marita: "Or tell off the agent?"

Bets (shakes her head): "Nope."

Marita: "Poor Trevor."

Bets: "Whaddaya mean, 'poor Trevor?'"

Charli: "Well, I must be spending too much time with you, Bets, because I dreamed I was on stage, too. I was in a dance competition."

Marita: "A what?"

Charli (nods): "I know, weird, right? Well, not surprisingly, I totally bombed. And of course, Todd was in the audience, and so were Jessica and Laurie and Brianna from youth group."

Marita: "Was Lukas there?"

Charli (shakes her head): "Nope. This is my dream, Mom, not yours. Anyway, they were laughing at me --"

Marita: "Todd?"

Charli: "Well, he was trying not to, and so was Laurie. But Brianna and Jessica thought it was hysterical and not only that, they were flirting with Todd like crazy. I was so embarrassed, and so hurt."

Bets: "Because they were laughing at you or because they were flirting with Todd?"

Charli (hesitates): "Both."

Bets: "What'd you do?"

Charli: "Before I had a chance to do anything, Anna went over and told them off. Laurie apologized, and Todd looked embarrassed, but Brianna and Jessica just walked away from her. Todd kind of gave me this look --"

Bets: "Like he was sorry and he wanted to be your boyfriend for life?"

Marita: "Bets!"

Charli (giggles then looks thoughtful): "I don't know how to describe it. He did look sorry, and there was something else, too. But I woke up too soon to figure it out. How about you, Mom?"

Marita: "Nope. No dreams about Todd. Or being on stage."

Charli: "Funny, Mom."

Bets: "Any good dreams about the man in your life?"

(to be continued....)