28 December 2024
I had a real nightmare last night and I think I know what brought it on. Wade and I watched Ant Lee’s Brokeback Mountain with Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhaal. In the movie, towards the end, Jack (Gyllenhaal) is ruthlessly beaten to death with a tire iron by three men and left on the side of the road. Although the death takes place in Texas, most of the movie is in Wyoming. Shades of Matthew Shephard who was beaten by two men, tied to a cross piece on a fence and left to die. I remember traveling through Wyoming and seeing the exact type of cross pieces on fencing there.
My dream took me back to high school where we had an exam and as I prepared to organize everything for the written exam, stuff started disappearing from my desk – a book, a pen, a writing pad. When I would walk around the class and eventually find it on someone else’s desk, something else would disappear on my desk. It resembled a whack-a-mole situation and I could never start on the test. A lot of familiar faces from high school were there and as I confronted one person about taking something, someone else would steal something else.
Finally, I broke and shouted to the class that I hoped they all burned in hell. I told them that I didn’t believe in God but they did and their God would condemn them to fire and brimstone. That startled them a little.
I know I’m lucky. I didn’t end up like Matthew Shephard. Other kids did or they committed suicide. I just don’t understand the hate. I certainly showed my hatred of harassment in my dream. I was constantly picked on in high school and once, almost choked to death by a bully. All because I was different than them.
On a more positive note, Wade and I joined Melinda, Joel and Keith at Bombay Darbar on Las Olas for some tasty Indian food. Everyone order medium spice but some ordered the vindaloo which comes pretty hot even though you order it mild. I can’t imagine ordering “Indian hot.”
I had my usual fried okra dish which I love. Others got fish vindaloo (Joel) or lamb vindaloo (Wade) or wings (Keith) or mushroom curry (Melinda). The service was great and the food really good. Wade finished his lamb curry last night for dinner.
I need to clean the pool filter today and wash clothes. Wade’s still abed and Chris and Judith Reiss want to come over this afternoon to see my tree. My friend Maureen is finally coming home from the hospital after a corrective surgery to a hip transplant.
It won’t be long before the new year is here. Stay tuned!
Fred, I did not realize that you were tormented in high school. How was I so oblivious? I really hate that that happened to you. Those kids were (and are) stupid bumpkins who I’m sure never amounted to anything. You surely did outpace them all.