For those of you who weren’t paying attention when I linked to Gaiman’s blogpost earlier today on Facebook. [What? You’re not a Facebook friend?] .. here’s the nut. Here’s what someone tattooed on her shoulder:
Sometimes you wake up.
Sometimes the fall kills you.
And sometimes, when you fall, you fly…
No reference, but if it had been there, it would have read: Neil Gaiman, SANDMAN. “Fear of Falling”
Have you ever dreamed of falling? And falling? And falling? and you wake up with a heart-stopping shake?
I used to. Still do sometimes.
When I was at university and dated a guy whose mom is a wonderful gal and a FB friend (Hi! Susie!), he and his family invited me to IBM night at the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk.
Despite my fears of falling and my dreams, I rode the Giant Dipper because Bill was a roller coaster freak and wanted to. We rode to the top of the tippiest top and headed down and … that first time, it was =just= like my dreams of falling, but I couldn’t wake up, couldn’t fly. … couldn’t die. I honestly thought I would die. If I could’ve climbed out of the car, I would’ve. But I couldn’t.
I rode the Dipper multiple times that night and even though that night is decades ago, it taught me that the fall didn’t need to kill me, it was just the downslope on a roller coaster and, if I hung in there, I could eventually come to a calm stop.
Here’s Gaiman’s blogpost.
I’ve never dreamed of falling, but I have roller coaster dreams and bridge dreams where the bridge is like the highest fall from a roller coaster. I like this take on turning it into a metaphor for life’s falls.
Comment by Arleen — January 26, 2011 @ 8:24 pm
Sheesh, it’s been a long time since I’ve visited your bloggy and I miss it and you! The falling dreams I have are almost always when I’m falling off the pillow, I think. I really love your photos, but I like your writing even more.
Comment by Heather — March 1, 2011 @ 7:50 pm
I haven’t been blogging words much, Heather. (“Obviously,” Heather says.)
My Auntie K has been bugging me about the sparsity of my blog as well. I may start writing here again. No promises.
Comment by Towse — March 3, 2011 @ 10:36 pm