The Real and Ideal

Books and Messages. And Dreams and Life. 8>)

Last night I had a dream that I was hiding in a basement. It wasn't really a safe basement, but we were using it as a bomb shelter. For some reason, I was crouched opposite a window. Great, eh?

The bombs that flew in were little- about the size of fireflies that zip around in the night. They were bright and floaty, like feathers, but radiated a light that was anything but soft. Unless you knew what they were (the reason we were all hiding in a bomb shelter) they could easily be mistaken for highly noticable dust motes that reflected the strong light of the dying sun.

That is, until they exploded.

I hid under a pillow as they went off, and for some reason it protected me from the fire. The explosions weren't that big, similar to the pre-detonated version, but they were only a couple feet away from me and I could feel the waves of heat that they emitted, like ripples in a pond.

Right before I woke up I saw one of my friends walk right into the explosion. I called her name, told her to stop, to run, anything but walk right into the path of the bomb. She didn't listen. My alarm went off.

I heard somewhere that dreams come from something you encountered in the past 24 hours. Interesting....especially considering the dreams I've had before... of mass murder and ghosts and.... explosions.

I was reading a WW2 book the other day, which is probably where that came from. The Book Thief. Maybe you've heard of it? It's gotta be one of my favorites (it gets to join that not-so-exclusive group... I'm sure it's very proud 8>)).

Anyway, its about a girl living in Nazi Germany, who befriends a Jew. It's really sad. Something to do with the end, that I won't give away (even though there is extensive use of foreshadowing, so if you haven't already guessed, you will soon) although I will tell you that it includes a bomb.

All I have to say is, I am really glad I live where I do. All it takes is a book about Nazi Germany to make you appreciate life so much more. The author of TBT, Markus Zusak, does a really amazing job of bringing the characters and their stories to life. Great as that may be for avid readers, it also drags them into that world- Germany during WW2- and throws many real dilemas into your head.

One big one- secrecy. If you oppose the Nazi Party, and you let people know about it, you are basically screwed. Having a secret of that magnitude locked up inside of you...just think of how crappy that would be. For us big mouthed individuals, that means words just creeping up your throat, sitting on your tongue and knocking on the backs of your teeth, yelling, "Let me out, you crazy fool!" Secrets mean that awkward silences CANNOT, MUST NOT be filled. Unless, of course, you have the control to say something else that won't cause the Gestapo to come calling.

On that same note, you have the ever popular Freedom of Speech issue. If you keep a diary, or account of your thoughts, you better keep it hidden and/or burn every entry. Now as a diary writer, I know that it would be incredibly difficult to burn your words. Every sentance, every page, they are like your babies. (I guess. If they are any good, anyway 8>)) You grow incredibly attatched. Although if your life is at stake, then I suppose it might not be a very hard decision.

I read these books once, Witch Child and it's sequel, Sorceress, by Celia Rees (another good author that gets to sit on my bookshelf). This book takes place during the years of early colonization in the Americas, ie, the Salem Witch Trial era. The main character, whose name I cannot remember right now (I think its Mary...maybe), is a witch, and keeps all of her secrets in a diary. When the woman she lives with, who cares about her very much, finds it, she insists that they burn it. Hey, when you are a witch living in a Puritan society, either your words burn, or you burn. Instead, she decides to sew each page between the layers of her quilt, hidden in with the stuffing.

Of all the lessons that could be learned from following the story of a German girl in a Nazi-dominated society, the one that jumped out at me most was the one about mouths, and how they are kept shut. Best friends, neighbors, the could be holding massive secrets, and you would never even know. If your secret is spilled, you might never be seen again.

I don't know why that strikes me so hard. It just seems like something that directly applies to the society I live in. People are so quick to run their mouths, myself included, without stopping to think about the consequences. I mean, no, I probably won't die, but opinions are still made and fragile things can still be broken. No, a crabby bunch of military guys probably won't come beat my door down, but there are certain things at stake here. Peace between members of the hockey team, for example. Peace between friends, aquaintances, enemies...hey, smooth sailing guys. Whooo.

As well as the whole thankfulness angle. It's probably a good thing I read this over Thanksgiving break, eh?

Pray for the soldiers oversees. And those who are sick, grieving, or just having a really bad day. And people who have tests tomorrow. They will all appreciate it, I'm sure. 8>)

Also, I suggest you pick up a book or something. I mean, you are reading my blog, but it's not like theres really much to find, except good reviews on a couple of other books. 8>) You should really go see for yourself.

Until next time then~