Wednesday, June 01, 2005
A Break in Time
G. and I went camping over the Memorial Day weekend. On a state highway leading into the campground, a large tree had fallen completely blocking the way, and several cars were turning around just ahead of us. One emergency vehicle was visible ahead at the scene.
We also turned around to take the alternate route in. A few minutes later, G. said, "I dreamed about this last night. I dreamed I was in a line of cars and couldn't go any faster. At that moment I watched helplessly as a large tree fell onto my car." Then she added, "I had completely forgotten the dream until just now. I wouldn't have remembered it at all if I hadn't seen the tree."
When we arrived at the headquarters of the state park, we found out that the tree had fallen only about 15-20 minutes before we would have passed that way. If we hadn't stopped to buy some food at a grocery earlier, we might have been there at just the crucial moment. We had been a bit worried about arriving so late (we feared that all the good spots would be taken), but obviously our dawdling was a very good thing.
Was this a premonition? If not, why did G. have such an unusual dream? It was, we agreed, a most bizarre experience, and made us wonder about the nature of time itself. If the dream was a predictor of the future, then who was the knower of that still-to-come event? Is all time really one time, as many posit?
Obviously, we know little or nothing about how "real time" works. We can only witness these curious events and puzzle as to what they may mean.
P. S. The tree did not hit any cars in its fall, and no one was hurt. When we passed that way again on our return, we saw no sign of damage, not even a bare spot where the tree had stood.
We also turned around to take the alternate route in. A few minutes later, G. said, "I dreamed about this last night. I dreamed I was in a line of cars and couldn't go any faster. At that moment I watched helplessly as a large tree fell onto my car." Then she added, "I had completely forgotten the dream until just now. I wouldn't have remembered it at all if I hadn't seen the tree."
When we arrived at the headquarters of the state park, we found out that the tree had fallen only about 15-20 minutes before we would have passed that way. If we hadn't stopped to buy some food at a grocery earlier, we might have been there at just the crucial moment. We had been a bit worried about arriving so late (we feared that all the good spots would be taken), but obviously our dawdling was a very good thing.
Was this a premonition? If not, why did G. have such an unusual dream? It was, we agreed, a most bizarre experience, and made us wonder about the nature of time itself. If the dream was a predictor of the future, then who was the knower of that still-to-come event? Is all time really one time, as many posit?
Obviously, we know little or nothing about how "real time" works. We can only witness these curious events and puzzle as to what they may mean.
P. S. The tree did not hit any cars in its fall, and no one was hurt. When we passed that way again on our return, we saw no sign of damage, not even a bare spot where the tree had stood.
