Stess's Journal

I am not entirely sure if this is the correct order of the dream, but iin the retelling this makes the most logical sense. I don't remember it all, there are bits and pieces of it that I have forgotten in the last hour of being awake. It is also possible that this was two dreams, if I woke up when my alarm went off and then went back to sleep, so the complete disconnect between the first and second parts might be because of that.

So, I guess I had either gone back in time, or something? Because I was in this college, a major one, obviously, because there were some really famous people there. First of all, I kept trying to get to the third floor, but none of the elevators seemed to either want to let me on, or stop there. The buttons were malfunctioning. So I had to take the stairs, which were really crowded. Since I only wanted to go down two floors, I hopped over and swung down on the banisters. Nobody seemed to notice, but I thought I was the only one who did that until I met another guy who was too. We went to class together. I was taking "Applied Mathematics", and for the first day of class we did a set of activities that involved three different rooms, mostly edible activities that we weren't allowed to eat yet, and was taught by Oliver Platt, and someone else famous who I can't remember. It might have been Tim Gunn. I got the activity of putting a wall-clock together. Then there was something involving a frying pan full of Hamburger. There were other people in my group, but Harrison Ford (a much younger Harrison Ford, which is why I think I went back in time) kept eating everything, and me and Steve Carrell kept laughing at him. The next room involved strawberries, and Harrison got in trouble for eating them. :(

There may have been a transition I don't remember, or this might be when i woke up and went back to sleep, but regardless, the dream changed. We were in some sort of futuristic, almost apocalyptic world where everyone was building this giant building, and most of the people had devolved to where they looked kind of like gummies. These were the people that had lost all hope, but some of us still looked normal, but were paler than normal. But whomever the "ruler" of our little world was, was really cruel, and would kill people off in big groups for no reason. I guess I was killed for being normal, I don't really remember what I did. But in my group was two other normal people, one who was a really charming guy but a pickpocket, and the other was a really scared girl, and then there was a gummy mom with like, twenty kids. We would be killed in this giant, moustrap like thing that would snap us into a bunch of pointy spears. Rather primitive, but that was what these people were like. But then, there was someone else in our group. Someone who could still stand up tall, and wasn't pale and hopeless looking. I knew right away who he was, and felt stronger. I faced my death, knowing that I was dying right beside the Jesus of that world.

I actually did die, in the dream too. but it was more like a movie thing, they release the spear-trap and suddenly we wake up in this brightly lit, welcoming room. The girl didn't really understand what had happened, she was going around looking at everything. The mom and kids kind of vanished, if they were even there, I don't remember. The guy went off with Jesus, and the girl and I started walking around. It was like a big resort, with tons of restaurants and bars and a big pool, and a huge outdoor area with a forest and a lake, and all sorts of fun things. There were people eating at the tables, and then there were waiters, but when the people were done they would switch places, like everyone was helping everyone else and nobody got left out. There was an information desk inside where they sold tickets to things like waterslides, and mountain rides, and random crazy stuff, and we found we had money, so we bought tickets to everything. I looked at the girl, she looked so amazed, and I said, "Haven't you figured out where we are yet?" Then her eyes got really wide and I think she understood. Then the charming guy who had been with us walked over looking kind of upset. I asked what was wrong and he said he might be going back. "It's not my time," he said. "I guess I just get to go back and sit on a beach being a drunk, since that was what I was before. But he said he might have something for me to do." I was sad that anyone would get to come here and then have to leave. But I told him he'd get to come back, but he didn't seem convinced. He left.

This part I can't remember exactly where it fell in the dream, but I know it must have been after we arrived in Heaven. I was outside, walking around on a sort of cloudy area (as in, most of it was made of clouds), and I saw these great raised platforms full of different people. They looked very impressive, and as I walked past one I saw a group of people that I knew instantly. I was suprised, really suprised to find them here in heaven, but I walked up to them and bowed a little. They all welcomed me. "You're - you're the Greek gods, aren't you?" Hera and Zeus nodded. They motioned for me to come and join them. I said hi to everyone, knowing who they were at once. Hera was beautiful in all white and gold, so was Zeus, who didn't look as old as he was often depicted. Aphrodite was waving down at people as they passed, occasionally looking hurt that people didn't fawn or wave back at her. I wanted to sit by Athena, but she was sitting up on a pedestal, looking all stoic and wise, but she smiled at me. I ended up sitting down beside Artemis, who looked about 12 years old, and I think Demeter, her dress all covered in flowers. Apollo was sitting across from us, and he took a liking to me right away and started having a furious tickle fight with me. Everyone was laughing. I think at some point I asked them how they ended up in heaven, since they were gods. Zeus explained that they realized they weren't the most powerful gods at all, and that they believed in our God too, so he let them come and live with him there. They didn't use their powers anymore, just enjoyed the benefits of being in heaven and meeting the people who had loved their stories. We were waiting for something to happen, something big. It might have been some kind of parade, or procession. We sat there on the pedestal for a whie, laughing and talking, and I think I woke up before what ever it was happened. But I think now I understand what we were waiting for.

It's weird though, to wake up and realized you dreamed about dying and going to heaven, realizing exactly how you imagine heaven in your own mind, and finding the sort of people you think, or wish, would be there too. The weirdest part was being led to my death, I think, but watching the man in front of me the whole time, knowing who he was. Knowing what was happening. I died in the dream with my head up and a smile on my face. I think that says something about me, at least I hope it does.

But that I'd imagine myself sitting with the ancient Greek gods, having tickle fights with Apollo and discussing all sorts of things about the world and knowledge and music with them all, while we wait for the final judgement, for everyone to join us, was really bizarre. I always assumed I woud find my family first, but I didn't see any of them. I typically don't try to read into my dreams, but this one I feel like I have to. I didn't find any friends, any famiy, just these figures out of legend that I've studied and read about and seen paintings and sculptures of. It was weird. I don't know what it's supposed to mean, if it does anything. I don't believe that I will meet the ancient Greek gods in heaven, believe me. It's just odd that I did, instead of the others I could have dreamed there.

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Happy New Year everybody!  I hope 2009 will be a great year!  I know it is going to be an important year for America, with our new President, with everything going on in the economy and the world.  I'm not clairvoyant or an optimist, but I have a good feeling about this year, and high hopes for what it may bring.  I wish the same for all of you.