Wednesday, February 20, 2008

Dream On!

I can hardly wait to go to sleep tonight... no, silly, Angel Linda didn't get a new sexy nightgown, hmm... good idea, our anniversary is approaching. Oops, got off my train of thought. sorry.

I finally had what I think was an "ancestor dream" last night. The scene was my grandparents house at 2130 Fern Street in San Diego, where they lived from 1920 until 1951. Lyle and Emily (Kemp) Carringer built it in 1920, and my mother grew up in this house until she married, and Emily's mother lived here throughout this time. It was on the same block as the house inhabited by Austin and Della Carringer at 2115 30th Street, and the upstairs flat I "remember as home " at 2119 30th Street. In the dream, I recognized the front yard and the front door of the house, which faces the driveway.

I recognized my grandfather, who was outside and invited me in. A little girl was in the background when the door opened. I immediately sat down at a long table with my grandfather at the far end, the little girl and an older wizened man with a mustache, and a little boy sat on the other side of the table, and my grandmother sat at the near end of the table right next to me. Her facial features and voice were unmistakable, but her body was distorted.

My grandmother started praying (I don't know if she ever did this at the dinner table) out loud and went on for awhile in a preachy strident voice. I opened my eyes (in the dream) while she prayed and looked around at the windows, counters, furniture, artwork and knickknacks in the room.

Then I woke up all excited that I had finally had an "ancestor dream." I don't remember recognizing any of the scenes inside the house, or the household "stuff," after I woke up.

I lived in this house from mid-1944 until late 1945 (approximately age 9 months to 25 months) with my mother and my grandparents when my father was in the US Navy in World War II. I have no clue now how the rooms inside were laid out, or what household "stuff" they had at that time, although I imagine that most of what was in their house in 1977 after they died was there, especially the books, china and counter knickknacks.

I remember very few dreams - usually they are the ones that result in stark terror and an instant wakeup and sigh that I'm still there in bed breathing, sometimes heavily. I guess that is good, eh?

I have hoped and wished to have "ancestor dreams" for 20 years. I can't remember a dream about my parents or grandparents in the last 20 years, let along a more distant ancestor. Maybe I shouldn't wish for something like this?

Were they trying to tell me something? Who were the girl, boy and mustache man? Too many questions - no answers yet!

How about you? Have you had meaningful "ancestor dreams?" Were they realistic? Scary? Tell us about them!

1 comment:

Unknown said...

Yes, from time to time I dream I am in my grandmothers house in Henderson, Texas. I am alone just as I was a child when I would visit and she would lie down for a nap. I roam the house, aware that she has passed on, and look for records which will answer all the questions I have about my ancestors that she knew or knew about. I end up at a chest or drawers in her bedroom and start going through papers knowing that I am about to find the origins, unknown ancestors, etc. Then, I wake up. While frustrating, I always enjoy going through my Grandmother's house and looking at all her things and furniture and having the sense of her presence. My grandmother kept me as a youngster and I visited her some in the summers when I was older. We never discussed family other than those living at the time (the mid to late 1940's.)