Christmas Morning  3:46 a.m. Costa Rica Time  (Central Time, US)

Awoke this morning feeling inspired and rejuvenated after what felt like hours of endless storytelling: mirthful, expository, and educational.

 

It was as though my mind was reviewing all the different ways that creative minds communicate and influence reactions (NOT including copy/sales writing, oddly enough, which was my career and focus for almost 25 years until two years ago when I retired).

 

Among the creative, expository and educational styles my dream served up were long form storytelling for entertainment purposes and short form reporting for news and information (as opposed to propaganda–information, especially of a biased or misleading nature, used to promote a particular cause, doctrine, or point of view; misinformation–false or innacurate information; and disinformation–inaccurate information expressly intended to deceive)

 

The dream(s) didn’t explore aspirational/inspirational literary styles. It stuck pretty close to storytelling — informational, educational with fun-spirited delivery.

 

I think the dream signals my preparation for the next level of my literary trajectory

 

And oddly enough, it’s a homecoming, not an upward trajectory.

 

I began as a storyteller.

 

I come from a long line of storytellers including (according to oral history) the Brothers Grimm in Germany.

 

I think this is my next step because of the immense joy and benefit I felt even as I dreamed different storytelling scenarios. It felt so freeing, natural, and like so much FUN to just turn my brain loose on different topics with different kinds of listeners. (Strangely enough, aqua culture was among them! A lady had acquired an expensive mature exotic fish for her fish tank and it had died overnight.  She wanted me to tell her what had happened to it!)

 

What prompted this dream? 

 

I think what sparked this dream was the retelling of my potato chips disaster to Lisa during a WhatsApp video chat yesterday afternoon. She hadn’t read that blog post, and instead of just rehashing what I said there, I adapted it to the way I knew she would enjoy it most (without worrying a bit about me during the tale). Knowing her sense of humor as well as I do and how to tickle her funny bone, I turned the account into a stand up comedy routine since my “audience” (my dearest friend) loves to laugh and indeed needs to laugh more often than she probably gets to!

 

And she did!

 

Instead of “Oh, no! — pity party type responses, she issued full-throated laughter,with delight emanating from her facial features.

 

So, in my dreams tonight, I was observing how different ways of storytelling change depending on whether I know the audience well enough to know what’s going to “move” them from listening mode to laughter mode or from listening mode to some other emotion, action, or understanding.

 

And now that I’m wide awake

 

I’m realizing that my innate ability to “read” people usually dictates how and what I communicate with them.

 

With my younger sister Jackie, I communicate in briefs. Just the facts, no frills. She doesn’t respond to humor and she will never respond (except perfunctorally, to seem polite, but without accompanying joy) to my accomplishments, joy, plans, invitations to do things together, etc. She simply doesn’t want to be bothered (deal with me) beyond what is absolutely essential. This is because she either just doesn’t like or understand me (or both!) and because (she told me this once, when we were  kids or teenagers) her friends often ended up in my room in stead of hers when they came to visit her. I reckon that was because I offered a different vibe that unintentionally tractor-beamed them in. (Without overt influence of any sort, in the same way that the chimpanzee Doc/Darwin kept jumping out of trees to come and climb into my arms, even though he always got reprimanded for it, as did I for doing nothing other than standing there!) (That story is in my book LET NO DAY DAWN THAT THE ANIMALS CANNOT SHARE, New Extended Edition. I have always had a way with animals that defy easy explanation other than I love and trust them!)

 

Kissin’ Cousins!

Or maybe sharing a pretzel??

(Sadly, don’t remember now!)

Either way, mutual trust and affection!

 

So, I always pulled back, dialed myself down and reined in my friendliness and accessibility by isolating more, because Jackie got mad and I understood why! I wasn’t trying to “steal” her friends.  I was being friendly and welcoming when they stopped by. And then they’d stay!  (Yikes!)

 

Unless I Know Someone Pretty Well…

 

I mostly LISTEN and OBSERVE politely until I can catch their vibe (or need) and match their frequency (or fulfill the need in some small way).

 

This may sound woo-woo or New Age-y or like voodoo to some neurotypical people but I think many neurodiverse people will immediately know and understand this adaptive technique. Great nurses and other well-attuned caregivers do this as a matter of course, too!!!

 

I may well be on the autism spectrum (I did a self test online and came in 20 points above the basic “yes, you’re autistic” score) but my ability to “read a room” when I do manage to look around is usually pretty spot on. I recognize the posers/actors (snake oil salesfolks/closeted queers and undiagnosed NDs, etc.), the people-pleasers (the walking wounded), the shy ones, the introverts, and the REAL people who don’t feel the need or the desire to be seen as anything more than they are.

 

Real Reople in Real Life

 

Real people in real life include(d) DeForest Kelley, Steve Irwin, Jane Goodall, and more. I’ve even include the present Dalai Lama and Pope Francis. (I haven’t seen the new Pope enough to have an opinion on his real-ness.) Although people tried to put these people on pedestals, they wouldn’t sit on them. They remained grounded in their essence.

 

Real people in my personal experience — wounded as many of them are (and as I am!) — are simply wonderfully and unambiguously who they are, warts and all. If I started naming them I would certainly leave some out due to momentary oversight.

 

But you may be pretty darned certain that if you remain in my orbit for a decade or more (whether we’ve ever met face to face yet or not), you’re on my “real” list because I have discerned no discrepancies that have “evicted” you from this  tribe of real (vulnerable, quirky, sacred) people!

 

Others of you who may feel estranged from me — or vice versa — I encourage you to decide not to take it personally! I no longer do. We’re just different! YOU have a different vibe and a different tribe, a tribe no less or more vulnerable, quirky and sacred than the one I call my soul’s “home.” I wish you well:  I wish for YOU what you wish not for YOUR tribe, but what you wish for others’ tribes. (This wish is either a blessing or a curse, of course.)

 

MOVING BACK TO THE ORIGINAL TOPIC

 

I look forward to seeing what comes to fruition creatively as a result of this Christmas Day extremely lucid dream session!

 

I do think that, for me as a Creative Channeler, the best is yet to come. My pump is being primed. I’m feeling “pregnant” with something again which ALWAYS before has happened not long before my next “production” (book) uploads into my brain and shows up behind my forehead and between my ears, at which time I shamelessly/eagerly plagiarize the entirety of it, massage it a little, and then proclaim it my own.  (Which every Creative whose ego is in check knows is pure malarkey.)

 

The best stuff is truly “INSPIRED.”  It comes from Somewhere External, which some call their Muse/God/Source/Spirit/Universe.

 

I don’t presume to know from whence it comes, I just know I’m merely a channeler.  No way could I do what I do or know what I intuitively know unilaterally with my limited human experiences and abilities.

 

Maybe it comes in the stardust from which we all spring.

 

Whatever it is, it’s REAL and when it sends me something, I obey to the best of my ability.

 

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL, NEAR AND FAR

AND BEYOND THE FARTHEST STAR!!!

 

UPDATE:  Got my Christmas Wish!

A selfie with my dear neighbor Diane Cooner!