Friday, January 15, 2010

Before I got obsessed with my high school nemesis yesterday, I was going to write about a dream I had two nights ago, so allow me to do it now.

The dream started with me sitting at home watching television, and me getting a phone call from someone (now that I think about it, I don't remember who). The voice on the other end of the phone told me that a group of people were gathering at the gym to play a little pickup basketball, and he asked me to come down to join everyone. In real life, I have been meaning to get back in the gym to play ball, so in dream world, I was thinking, "Finally!" I went, changed clothes, grab towels and some bottled water and headed out the door.

When I arrived at the gym, I headed towards the locker room to put my coat and bag down, but I peeked in the gym first. I saw about 10 or 11 people shooting the basketball, joking around, and having fun, and naturally I got excited (pause). I went back in the locker room, put my stuff down and attempted to run back in the gym. But once I took two steps back in there, I realized that I was no longer in a gym setting, and things had changed drastically.

Instead of seeing basketballs, friends, and baskets, I saw crumbled buildings, dead bodies and people running around frantically. There was smoke all around, people were bleeding, and here I was looking like a clown with gym shorts, a shirt and a basketball in my hand. I knew I was in Haiti, and I knew I had to do something, but for the moment I was baffled as to how the hell I got in this place. Then someone tapped me on the shoulder, and asked me to help him out, and I ran down the street with him, and helped him pull a body out from the rubble. Then once that body was out, someone else tapped me and asked me to do the same. And then I woke up.

Of course when I woke up out of that dream, I freaked the hell out, and I realized that a)I needed to donate more money and possibly clothes to the struggling people in Haiti and b)I need to stop watching the coverage. I know its bad down there, and I know people are dead, sick, dying, thirsty, hungry etc. But I don't need to watch it everyday to bang that point home. And if I keep doing that, the dreams will continue, and motivation to help more won't always be the side effect..I may just flat out get depressed and go crazy. I remember during the Katrina coverage I just kept watching and watching, and then when it came to going through the seemingly small details of my own life, I had no motivation, I just felt badly. I know now that's not the way to go. You help out as much as you can, if you're into prayer you do that, if you want go down there to Haiti to help, then you do that too. But you don't sit around and be depressed. At least that's my take on the situation.

And THAT my friends is how you start off the weekend!

On a higher note, be sure to check out THIS STORY about a student meeting his teacher.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

I will not approve on it. I over polite post. Particularly the designation attracted me to read the sound story.

£ said...

the Haiti earthquake is just devastating. I had been doing well avoiding the endless coverage, until someone posted a link on twitter. My curiosity got the best of me and I clicked. FAM. it was a about 5 or 6 little boys... all dead. My mind couldn't(wouldn't?) register it at first. I kept thinking that they must have been asleep. But no. After seeing that, I just burst in to tears.

I've donated, but that doesn't rid me of the helpless feelings I have when I think of the folks down there who have lost everything, including loved ones.

Jazzbrew said...

That dream is DEEP man.

I've avoided the coverage but I've sent funds. Still, it doesn't seem like enough.

I remember coming into work b*tching and moaning about the commute. I hit CNN and started reading. Needless to say I felt pretty petty for complaining about something as trival as a crowded Metro platform.

spirit_55 said...

Rashad, your dream is the dream of life. You serve your fellow man inwardly and outwardly. Thanks for sharing it.