The Jungle June 18, 2007
It had been a difficult night for sleeping because of a rainstorm with lots of lightening and thunder. My sleep was interrupted several times, but I began to dream when I did fall into a deep sleep. I had trouble remembering it all but feel there is something very significant in what I retained.
The dream took place somewhere in South America, in the jungle in an unidentified country. What I remember is a tribe of indigenous Indians leading someone…a man.
I never saw his face, or if I did I don’t recall. What I do remember took place in a clearing. There was a feeling of danger, but from whom or what I couldn’t say. There was one man from the tribe who I felt was their leader. I believe he had his family with him, or at least his infant son. Perhaps the families were traveling together though it is unclear to me now.
This leader or chief was about to pick up his son when he was shot in the chest. I saw him stumble and fall back, arms still reaching out for his child. The child was brought to him to hold before he died. There was another man travelling with this group who I couldn’t see (as though I was seeing events through his eyes) and he was keeping a journal, recording the important details of his journey. The journal seemed to be important for me to remember, a connection that would make sense to me at some point in my life. He had drawn a sketch of this Indian who had been killed and it was this picture that held me to the dream. I felt I should recognize this man with the journal and understand why he was making this record. It seemed important I didn’t forget this picture.
I could not remember the details about why the man was shot, by whom, why they were there in this spot, or whether anyone else was shot after I woke up. I believe the sketch and the man with the journal were the aspects of the dream that was of importance. Perhaps the man with the journal was part of the reason the Chief was killed, but I don’t know for sure. How this incident relates to me in my life, I cannot say.
I have some thoughts today about why this dream may have been important to receive. I have been drawing for many years, the act so instrumental on my healing journey. When I think of this dream and consider the value of the journal my father kept, I can comprehend the importance of keeping a record. My artwork is on reflection, my journal. I believe there is a direct connection between my art and this story I am telling. One day I hope my journal will be understood by those closest to my heart, just as I imagine my fathers journal was read by those who needed to understand his journey as well as his reasons for making it.
I believe that one of the main reasons my fathers memory remains alive is due to the journals he kept on his travels. His story is still being read today, people trying to understand his motivation and his passion, even though much of what he wrote remains secret.
There are of course those who are also doing their best to discredit him, using the same journals. For me, had I not kept my dream journals much of what has been written for this book would have been lost. It has been a great comfort to go back and read them and make sense of what was happening. Like my father, I kept a record of my journey, this in itself being an invisible connection. Journals were vital in both our lives.
0 Comments