Am I a dreamer? This is Monday and Monday is always a good day for self-evaluation. Are you thinking, ‘Says who?’ Simon of course, Simon is my cat, and he plays an active part in my writing, or inactive. Simon sleeps a lot but he is an inspiration. He is the perfect lead to write about dreaming. Being human I am a night dreamer, but am I a day dreamer? Maybe yes, and maybe no. Yesterday I had breakfast in a neighborhood garden called The Dreamers’ Garden. Now all doubt is gone, I am a day dreamer.
Sitting in Dreamers’ Garden enjoying breakfast with family and friends, I am in a special place. This is a community garden, and it is close to my heart. If only Simon were here, he would be inspired. What if every neighborhood had a garden? What if every neighborhood still considered itself to be a neighborhood? There are poetry readings in the garden, and an annual neighborhood festival. The garden has Boy Scout projects, community projects and can even boast of a sensory section for the blind. I noticed that there wasn’t a scarecrow in Dreamers’ Garden, so I asked,
“Aren’t you worried, that the birds will eat the seeds?”
“Ah yes. We’ve been asked this before. No Scarecrow. Why, scare the crow? In Dreamers’ Garden the animals can read so we just put up a sign.”
“What does it say?”
“No Tipping.”
“What happens in the garden at night? Are the gates locked?”
“ An excellent question, second only to ‘do plants sleep at night’? Dreamers’ Garden comes alive at night. That is when the plants grow. From dusk to dawn wonderful things are happening here. Plants grow only if they are not being watched.”
“What happens in the garden if it doesn’t rain?”
“ Oh, that is serious. Plants need rainwater. We have hoses but that is not enough. Plants want rainwater. Rainwater is untouched by human hands.”
“Is that better?”
“ Infinitely better. One day, I was digging in the garden and my trowel hit something hard. Was it a stone? A brick? As I dug deeper, I found a quarter note about 8” long made of gold. I knew it was a quarter note because of taking piano lessons years ago. There are four to a measure in 4/4 time. It’s a whole note with a staff and a flag, I’d recognize it anywhere.”
‘What did you do?”
“ I buried it.”
“What! You just said it was made of gold.”
“We do things like that here. Rumor has it that there are golden notes scattered throughout the garden, just waiting to be played. Come tonight, you’ll hear it.”
I was then told that a lot of lost things are found in Dreamers’ Garden. Day Dreaming is one of them. The advantage to day dreaming is that it is not thinking. Thinking is productive, dreaming is not. Thinking can solve problems, dreaming doesn't. Thinkers are admired, dreamers are scorned. Welcome to the garden.
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