Bob Dylan's Dream

One of the more poignant songs Bob Dylan wrote back in the 60’s was called ‘Bob Dylan’s Dream.’ A surrealistic return of old friends gathered around an old wooden stove in a rustic log cabin deep in the woods. A bunch of buddies sharing stories, swapping lies and pretending to know what lay ahead of them in the future. Nothing could have been furthered from the truth. It’s a great metaphor for a life I’ve come to know and experience.

My C & C (coffee and chat) sessions, conceived a long time ago, have gradually succumbed to the realities of life. Once a vibrant collection of eight-to-ten individuals, as eager to do the vernacular dance as I was, has gradually slipped away to just four faithful followers.

The whole idea of a one-on-one gab sessions started out simply enough. It was the height of Covid and everything in town was shutting down. Sharon and I were leaving Palm Springs, heading home for much of the same thing back in Minnesota.

The year was turning out to be different than any other we had experienced before. It would include new routines like discovering the peace and serenity of a woodland waltz. The flowers were just beginning to bud and the air was warming up. It was a glorious time to be walking in the woods.

Unlike Sharon who was quite comfortable being sequestered in our house this summer because of COVID-19, I was chomping at the bit to ‘get out of Dodge.’ LA Fitness was off limits as were restaurants, the library and other past social gathering spots. Most of all, I missed my cerebral salons with chosen friends.

As it turned out, the best part of that adjusted summer was reacquainting myself with old friends and solidifying friendships with new ones. I called them my ‘coffee and chat’ sessions. Sharon had another name for them; ‘Playdates.’

On my first unofficial C & C, one of my friends and I discovered the solitude of a lakeside pavilion looking over still waters in the crisp early morning air. It was the perfect peaceful setting for great coffee, a tasty snack and thoughtful, insightful, challenging conversations. The surroundings were pretty spectacular too.

For my other friends, the outdoor settings varied from parks, patios, porches, shelters, and other drafty spots with plenty of air circulation and room for our camp chairs spread apart. It worked like a charm so much so that most of us agreed it was a pleasant alternative to the traditional nosey, crowded coffee shops of the past.

Sharon whimsically called them my playdates. I preferred to call them as cerebral salons, catch-up sessions, strengthening the bonds of friendship, or just plain playing it safe in the era of Covid-19. It was enjoying several hours of easy discussion, settling world events, contemplation, soul-sharing thoughts and sharing the warmth of true friendship. Well-earned reminiscing challenged entrenched thinking, clarifying the past, filling in the memory gap.

Then, along with the changing of seasons, I would go back to Palm Springs and the sessions would pause until the following spring. That pattern continued for several years until the realities of life intervened and changes in our respective lives began. One friend changed jobs and with it her flexibility. Another faced a mental crisis. Another succumbed to health issues. Another retired and chose a new career as a caregiver (as a fulltime job), and the list goes on. Each separation was slow and gradual and finally became final.

The remaining C & C veterans remain as dedicated to the cause as I am. But we all know that life has a tendency to throw out some pretty nasty surprise curves sometimes. Whether the remaining four still stick around for a while is anyone’s guess. Here’s Hoping.

In the meantime, I’m trying to replicate some of what I captured that first summer when the early morning sun warmed our camping spots and added to the serenity of our friendship. I’ve put out inquiries to several new acquaintances to entice them to join the party.

True wealth comes in good health and friendships. For a while, I was a very wealthy man. I’m trying to build up my wealth (friends) again.