I dreamt a dream I hadn't had since
childhood. Back then I used to think of it as a
nightmare. I would be at the top of a
helter skelter. It was always a big old fashioned one, tapering toward the top like lighthouse, with a red
spiral swirl all around it. As I sat at the top, the
coir mat prickling at my bare thighs, I would feel a tingle of
excitement at the prospect of the ride I was about to enjoy. I would push off and the world would blur and warp as I scooshed over the wooden lats of the helter skelter. Round and round I went. Until, as I rounded the last turn, I would be faced with the
gaping maw of a
whale. It was
cartoon like in it's size and simple outline, but as I hurtled into it's mouth a
scream already jolting me awake it seemed frighteningly
real to me.
This time though it was different.
As I sat the top of the helter skelter, felt that prickle of the mat, it was all suddenly familiar. At first a sense of deja vu, then the realisation that it was a dream and more importantly a dream I had had before. Now it was no longer a nightmare, the ride down the slide was fun, exhilarating. As I approached the bottom I saw the cartoon whale, I knew it was coming. I saw now it was made from glass fibre and as I slid into it I laughed and let out a wheeee of glee. I awoke and almost laughed, the dream was the same but my perspective had changed and I no longer needed to be afraid.