Sentimental Journey

What a relief, I said to myself when I woke up this morning after a frustrating dream.

Of course, I didn’t know it was a dream when I was in it, spinning my wheels trying to get help, blaming myself for doing a dumb thing.

The way it started is I’d gone out for brunch with two friends. Two friends known very well to me in the dream it seems, but not people I know in my real life.

When we arrived at the restaurant’s parking lot, someone that was a friend of one of the friends I was with came out of the restaurant.

The two did a what’s up thing, were laughing, joking; and, at this point, the second person I was with seemed to have vanished from the dream …… it was then just my one friend, and his friend that had exited the restaurant, who seemed to work at the restaurant, had on a server type jacket.

The two talked about doing something that required them to get in a car, drive away.

Evidently, I myself had driven to the scene. We'd arrived at the restaurant in my white jeep, which required my friend to need to use my car.

I tossed the key fob to my friend’s friend, and the two left the parking lot.

I waited for their return, and I waited, and I waited, and I waited.

It seems I waited for hours before determining something wasn’t right.

Then I began kicking myself …… How could you be so stupid as to toss your keys to someone you don’t know? …… Why didn’t you think? …… Why would you allow someone else to drive your car? …… What about the insurance liability of letting someone else drive? yada yada yada.

I did not have my cellphone. Don’t know if I’d left in the car or what, so I went inside, asked the person at the front desk to call the police for me.

He didn’t take me seriously. Scoffed at me. Brushed me away. I didn’t like his attitude, but what could I do.

Back out on the sidewalk outside the restaurant, I approached a couple I saw that had a cellphone out, asked if I could use it.

They graciously allowed me to call the police.

Back inside the restaurant with the police, I suggested I’d been scammed, that the person at the front desk seemed to be involved, and there must be surveillance to identify the two people on the parking lot, which were my friend and my friend’s friend; that possibly the police could track the car from info gathered from the cameras. The thought of lojack came to mind …… did I have it installed?

It was at this point that I woke up.

My first sensation was relief. Thank God that was a dream, thought I as I began my morning ritual.

Details of the dream stuck with me, which is unusual because I generally forget a dream as soon as I awaken. However, as I preprepared to seize the day, the frustration I'd felt in the dream remained front and center in my thoughts … the tossing of keys to that guy.

Since the dream would not let go, I began dissecting it, asking myself "What does it mean?".

"Warning Dream", myself replied and, when I heard that, I knew exactly what the warning was about.

Just the night before, I’d booked myself into a hotel I’d never been to before (6/13- 6/15).

Looking into hotel parking, I’d learned parking at the actual hotel is Valet only at $60 a day. The other option is parking offsite … a garage across the street from the hotel.

Thinking the garage parking might not be all that safe insofar as theft of property pilfered from the trunk or glove compartment, I was planning to foot the bill for Valet Parking. That is, I was willing to pay the charges until I had that warning dream about tossing keys to a guy I did not know.

Due to the hassle of my food issues, trips are no longer in my wheelhouse and, having recently seen how a person can go to bed at night and not wake up the next morning, I no longer assume, no longer plan ahead. However, this trip is something I have to plan for and muster through because it involves LA Pride. I feel compelled to do it for my baby girl.

It’s a great way to honor the memory of Twin 1, acknowledge the work she did in contributing to the care and feeding of the homeless members of the LGBTQ+ community; and the organizers want to provide a parade car or float, with family involvement.

Emotional as I get, when Twin 1’s name comes up, I think the joyous atmosphere will make it so I can do this for her without crying myself the whole route down Hollywood Boulevard.

At any rate, I'll be bypassing Valet Parking, opting instead to take my chances with the garage across the street.