Flying

Monday night

I'd been visiting my friend Preston at his apartment back in Virginia, and exited through a back door, into a courtyard. We'd been watching an episode of "Seinfeld." It was wintertime, and snow was on the ground. Presto was going to meet me outside in a few minutes, and we were going to go somewhere -- probably to get something to eat. Anyway, since I knew how to fly, I decided to hop over to my car.

I got a running start down the hill, and began soaring. (It seemed that I couldn't take off from a standing-still position any more than an airplane could.) Flying was fun, of course, so I took a few laps up and down the street -- as if I was swimming through the air; not with overhand strokes, but using my arms like the paddles of a sea turtle, and diving like a dolphin. I noticed that problems with my left rotator cuff made some turns a little difficult, but I was able to get around all right.

I landed at the curb outside the apartment just before Preston came outside. It occured to me that he might not know that I could fly. I said, "Hey, Presto -- check this out," and proceeded to give him a brief demonstration. Upon my return, he said, "That's pretty neat," and he got into my car on the passenger side.

*****

This is the second flying dream that I've had in the past month or so. The previous one took place at the beach. In that one, I was in a group of people that were able to fly only with the use of some silver disc that we were throwing around -- sort of like a magic hubcap -- and in that case we were able to take off from a standing position. It was more like levitation, I guess. As if that wasn't strange enough, once we got above the clouds, we were in water again, and began swimming. I'm not sure what that swimming/flying connection is all about.

I did injure my shoulder last year while trying to make an ill-advised left-handed layup in a game of HORSE with my brothers. It felt like I ripped that arm from my body. My family (on my dad's side) has a history of joint problems in our arms and legs.

Preston's understatement at my showing-off is amusing. He's a reporter by trade, and he even uses economical language in my dreams.