Those wondrous events called 'nighttime dreams' are at times magical, frightening, uneventful, impossibly symbolic, sexual, or a simple rehash of the days events, and more. Both ancient and modern cultures hold the dream life with reverence; after all, we spend about one-third of our lives asleep and busy with all things belonging to the unconscious and involuntary bodily functions.
Naturally, I was astonished to find myself at a party in Algeria last night (in my dreams, of course) with a hostess whose house, in waking hours, sits only a block away from mine. I have never before graced the soil of Algeria either in my etheric body or in physical form. Like any tourist, I was walking about marveling at the newness of experience yet surprised at how familiar this land seemed.
Without troubling the reader with all the intricate details of this long sojourn, suffice it to say that the Algerian people were very helpful in directing me to the nearest grocery store that was open late at night. At the party, an Algerian woman of thirty-something years looked at me and my fellow party goers from the USA with an astonished smile and said, "I've never met Jews before. You are really nice." Somehow I knew that this modern Algerian woman was of the Islamic faith, and that she was an associate of my friend who had moved to this North African country in dreamland.
And why am I dribbling on about a dream I had last night? Because it was an affirmation that when people of different cultures and religions meet each other in a neutral, hospitable atmosphere, the preconceptions fall away and we relate!
Human beings share almost all of their gene pool in common with each other; only a tiny percentage of genes reflect differences due to the environmental impact on their physical form. So below, so above. We are more alike than different, and when that is known and felt through friendly human interaction, all is well with the brotherhood and sisterhood of mankind.
Naturally, I was astonished to find myself at a party in Algeria last night (in my dreams, of course) with a hostess whose house, in waking hours, sits only a block away from mine. I have never before graced the soil of Algeria either in my etheric body or in physical form. Like any tourist, I was walking about marveling at the newness of experience yet surprised at how familiar this land seemed.
Without troubling the reader with all the intricate details of this long sojourn, suffice it to say that the Algerian people were very helpful in directing me to the nearest grocery store that was open late at night. At the party, an Algerian woman of thirty-something years looked at me and my fellow party goers from the USA with an astonished smile and said, "I've never met Jews before. You are really nice." Somehow I knew that this modern Algerian woman was of the Islamic faith, and that she was an associate of my friend who had moved to this North African country in dreamland.
And why am I dribbling on about a dream I had last night? Because it was an affirmation that when people of different cultures and religions meet each other in a neutral, hospitable atmosphere, the preconceptions fall away and we relate!
Human beings share almost all of their gene pool in common with each other; only a tiny percentage of genes reflect differences due to the environmental impact on their physical form. So below, so above. We are more alike than different, and when that is known and felt through friendly human interaction, all is well with the brotherhood and sisterhood of mankind.
Thanks for sharing and very well put - short and sweet. Fyi - Reda's going back to Algiers in March if you'd like to go and meet his big family and see if the real deal compares w your dream. :-) Ginny
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