Woke up from a dream in which I was talking to a guy. In the dream, I had returned Montana (again) for school. I was in a student lounge area. It was full of students milling about. The light was low with a yellowish hue and the area reminded me a of mixture of a bar and a waiting area. 

I sat at a small bar seating area that was located along a long wall. As I played with my phone I noticed a man approaching from my left. He lingered, looking at me intently. I knew he wanted to talk so I looked up and he sat down, smiling, as if I invited him. He was rugged looking, like a version of Clint Eastwood, his skin tanned brown with deep smile lines around his eyes and mouth. Now that I think about it, he looked similar to a man I met in an OBE – the Marlboro Man. Ha!

When he introduced himself his words sounded all jumbled. I said, “Hold on, let me take out my earplugs.” I pulled out my right one and said, “Okay. What’s your name again?” He told me again, his words thick with a foreign accent, and it was still hard to make out but somehow I came up with Javier. I repeated it back and he nodded and said, “My friends call me Charlie.” 

With his very obviously Spanish name, I asked him if he was from the south. He nodded. So, I told him how I came to be there in Montana. I said, “I’m from Texas visiting after being away for 5yrs. I really missed the mountains and love it here.” I dropped my earplug (not wanting to listen) and excused myself as I knelt down to retrieve it from underneath the legs of a nearby chair. As I peered at it from under the chair I had a momentary moment of lucidity and the earplug became very clear. I remember thinking it out of place because I only wear them when I sleep, but it did not wake me up from within the dream.

Somehow we ended up talking about Houston. I think that was where he was from but am not sure. He began talking about specific streets in the area asking if I knew them. I remember talking about this for a while but cannot recall the names of the streets. Something about him relaxed me, like he drew out a part of me that otherwise would have remained hidden.

As we talked the scene shifted and we were in a car driving on roads with patches of ice and slush. I only recall that we discussed the harsh weather of Montana and he mentioned how the increase in population and warmer winters has decreased the heavy snow and ice. I remember as we drove that it felt like we were flying very low to the ground. In front of us was a four wheel drive pick-up truck (hard work) with oversized tires. It slowed and pulled to the right. In front of it and us was a flooded (high emotion) portion of the road. I was not worried whatsoever, knowing the water was not deep, but the truck detoured around it. We drove through the puddle and I watched the truck driving on our right. It drove back onto the road on the other side of the puddle at the same moment we did. We had successfully navigated through it.

Then I was just talking to “Charlie” one-on-one without any visuals that I recall. I assume we were still flying together but IDK. What I recall most specifically is him asking why I think of everything in life as “work”. I didn’t disagree and said just existing on this planet and in this body requires work. Survival = work. I think of pretty much all aspects of life from eating to sleeping – even breathing – as work. Over time all of it has become exhausting to me. It seems like every moment of life is preparing for the next. Every minute of every day making sure this body continues on. And for what? More of the same. In contrast, being in Spirit is not work at all. Everything comes with such ease.

Charlie reminded me that it wasn’t long ago that I found pleasure in the simple things in life. A memory of me cleaning dishes and realizing that I enjoyed it played through my mind. He suggested I focus on finding that joy again. 

I woke up still thinking of our discussion. My mind wandered to the people around me, all keeping busy with things in life they found “fun”. Fun is an over-used word. To me, “fun” describes something like going on an amusement park ride. Fun = adrenaline or an energy spike. There is a peak and then it falls back down, usually ending in a contented exhaustion. Yet, the people I know all use the word “fun” to describe all sorts of things from going for a walk to shopping or getting their nails done. 

I have become extremely critical of anyone who has tried to persuade me to have “fun” with them. If you say, “Come on! It’ll be fun!” It is an instant turn-off and I will likely say no. If you say, “It will be a nice change of scenery” or “You might like it”, then I might consider it. Might. lol

Regardless, Charlie is asking me to think of life differently, to get back to finding enjoyment in the simple things. If only it were that easy. Usually, those moments are when I am alone, so I will start there.

Finally, why I told Charlie I was returning to Montana after five years, IDK. 2017 was seems so long ago. Maybe I made some kind of decision back then that led me to take a long break from my spiritual journey? Probably. 2015-2017 were some of the toughest years for me.