Photo by Denys Nevozhai on Unsplash
By: Stella Orange
Lately, I’ve found myself in more conversations than one would expect about the contents of people’s daydreams.
You know, the idle unspoolings of the mind that can only occur when one is warm, safe, relaxed, well-fed, and open.
Now, I am quite aware of how many people are not able to get to that place right now.
Which makes it all the more essential: Those of us who can, must. For ourselves, and also everyone else.
One woman I know dreams of living in a community house again. Another dreams of puzzles. Several of us fancy a return to our artistic lives. A man I know dreams of returning to the dojo to continue his martial art training.
There is something thrilling about knowing what each of these people holds in their daydreams.
Maybe it’s because each of these daydreams are so unique to the person carrying it.
I can see how the puzzler, a business strategist by day, would relish a good jigsaw.
I can imagine how the Philosopher would tire of wrestling ideas in his melon, and would want to wrestle other men.
But also, there is solidarity in learning that everyone I know holds some dream for the future. And many of those dreams are, at a minimum, funky, and if I’m being honest, weird.
Side bar: I don’t use “weird” in a derogatory sense. I once had a meditation teacher who said “weird is wonderful” and I happen to agree whole heartedly.
Some dreams that I’ve been holding for awhile are about to come true. And the only reason they have is because we have been sitting at the imaginary fire of the hearth of our minds, day after day, adding a log here, blowing on it a little there.
And to do that, we’ve needed relaxation and leisure. Not the stuff that’s expensive or far-flung. The stuff that comes when you say, “hey, I’m just gonna stare at the wall until my muscles relax before I drift off to sleep.”
I must confess I am still not used to this way of moving in the world, but I like it.
Happy daydreaming,
Stella is cofounder and copywriter at Las Peregrinas, a creative and consulting agency. As our resident word nerd, she writes copy and points out the stories everyone is living and telling through their work. She is also fun at parties.
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