It’s come to my attention that small town people dream like cats and city people dream like dogs.
A girl I know told me that she was going to cure the world by smiling at everyone she sees.
“They’ll just think you want to fuck them,” I said.
She gasped and pulled back.
“But that’s not what I mean,”
“Your message isn’t about what you mean it’s about what they perceive,” I said.
And I tried to explain how even good intentions can easily be taken the wrong way and that in order to help anyone you have to look at the world their way.
But it’s so hard and she was mad at be. I wished our brains could be linked and she could feel what I feel and I could feel what she feels.
Maybe she could dream the dusty dream of the city streets and understand the confusing, indirect social structure and how hard it is to make change.
And maybe I could dream the golden, fairy tale dream of her little city, where the city council decides to move up Halloween three days because it’s more convenient for the people of the town.
And maybe she could understand why it’s such a mind boggling thing to be able to change the date of Halloween.
Or maybe we could do a brain exchange and we could walk around all day with each other’s brains and she could know what it’s like to worry about accomplishments and respect all day. And maybe if I possessed her brain I would know what it’s like to be serene and need only the love of family.
And maybe after we’ve worn each other’s brains we can see each other with a new found respect and maybe that night when we go home and go to sleep we can dream one united, human dream.
