Dreamcatcher 6/30/08

This entry really has nothing to do with Japan, but I thought I'd share a very rare personal experience:

(5 o'clock hour AM)
I just woke up from a tremendous dream. This was one of the most powerful dreams I've ever had in my life. I very rarely have dreams this powerful and with such depth and lucidness. It was a vision of the future. There were some catastrophic events which took place which resulted in much death of humankind. But it was not a morbid dream, because many people survived, and lived on by uniting in the spirit of harmony and trust. People banded together and supported each other.

There was a great happening which took place in the sky, something very deadly which I had foreknowledge of and had been warning people about, which it seemed most people dismissed until it actually occurred. There was some kind of invisible vortex in the sky which seemed to draw all the clouds together, and then shoot out a wave of energy in many directions, similar to lightning, except different. It seems I had been warning people in my life for some time to the catastrophic event to come, and when it finally happened, I noticed clouds started to draw together in the sky in an eerie slience. I think I was with my mother when the first event happened. We were talking and I looked up and saw the clouds suddenly start to shift towards a focal point in the sky. The sky seemed like it may have been mostly blue and clear at the time, not necessarily overcast. I said to my mother "Look at the sky!" And for some reason I knew to take cover...

There was a sudden release of energy from the sky and many people on the ground were "zapped" by the energy and perished. Naturally, people were shocked and devastated. Even though I had known about the events prior, it was still a frightening experience for me as well. I believe my mother survived the devastation, as she immediately followed my direction to safety. Many others tried to clamor for cover; some survived the "blast," and many didn't. The main difference between myself and everyone else was that I knew what to do to survive--I was mentally prepared. I think I dived to a "safety spot" and was able to evade the first "shock wave." A second energy blast occurred shortly after the first. People again took cover, while others also didn't make it. The vortexes (vortices) and shock waves seemed to happen intermittently over a period of time (perhaps hours, days, or weeks), and every time a forewarning came by way of a sudden and quiet, drawing of the clouds towards some focal point in the sky. When I saw that, I knew it was time to rush for cover. For some reason, I seemed to possess some kind of digital 3D map which pinpointed the exact locations of where to position yourself as to avoid the shock wave from the sky. However, I suspect I may have accessed this information mentally, as I don't recall having any portable computerized device with me which could store such information.

Soon after the catastrophes struck, a certain type of like-minded/like-spirited people somehow sought each other out and came together. It seemed like all of the people I encountered were relatively young, attractive Black men and women. None of us seemed to have been previously acquainted with each other, but there seemed to be an immediate trust and harmony between us. Even though we began to coalesce into a group, most people seemed lost and confused about the future and what they were supposed to do. Somehow, I seemed to emerge as a vocal leader/instructor, not because I had the ambition to, but because it was necessary at the time. I may have been just one of a number of leader figures. Many people seemed gripped by uncertainty in light of the recent chaos, and I began simply instructing people how to heal themselves with sound, using their own voices and mouths to project sound vibrations such as "Aaahh" towards their comrades, in order to heal wounds and illnesses, whatever they may be. There was a specific way to do it, and the instruction was of a very serious and urgent nature. I remember correcting people's individual healing techniques, to ensure they would have proper results. Everyone seemed to listen to my instruction intently and without protest. They barely knew me, but they somehow knew that I knew what I was talking about. I was teaching the sound vibration technique as a prelude to more advanced healing techniques--using one's palms to heal others by transmission of energy through the hands (Qi Gong).

The reason I possessed the knowledge of healing was because I had been studying certain healing sciences independently prior to the great catastrophes which affected humanity. Though I'm not sure the expanse of time covered in the dream, it seems like the group of survivors that banded together was with each other for a period of time. During the down periods, people socialized and interacted freely, although when the time for action arose, the collective group was easily rallied by its more vocal members.

Although this account of my dream may sound very much like "sci-fi," the events in the dream didn't feel like science fiction. The dream had much more of a spiritual feeling, as people of like spiritual awareness became drawn together in order to help each other survive. Although many people were unsure what to do, people didn't second-guess the counsel of the leaders such as myself...

...

Hmm.

How do I start this? At this moment, I'm half-laughing at myself, half-scratching my head. How do I begin to explain to my long-lost, abandoned 3.5 readers what in the freak happened to KGJ, and how I hope you can find it in your hearts to...scratch that...

Um, let's just say that with this entry, I officially forgive myself. Crazily, I've been MIA from the blog-iverse for over a year. Damn. I'll just offer this simple maxim:

"Life happens."

Surely, y'all can understand that and will accept my masked apology. Take me back. Please baby, baby, please. Now, I'll attempt to scan the highlights of the 2006-2007 KGJ timeline:

• After over 3 years of living together, my white American, very liberal-minded roommate, Aaron, decided to get engaged and move out, only giving me about a month's notice to decide on where to live.
• After dispiriting bouts of housing discrimination from the Japanese company which managed my building (the one I'd dutifully paid rent to for over 3 years) as well as a white American-run housing agency (which I was referred to by my company, I might add), I was forced to leave my apartment, helplessly having to concede to lesser housing accomodations in, literally, the only apartment building in the city (commonly derided as the "gaijin ghetto" by its inhabitants) which accepted foreign residents without the endorsement of a Japanese guarantor. Said roommate got a sobering civics lesson in racism, inspiring a sense of guilt and a humble apology to me for my troubles. I accepted.
• I attempted to live with my girlfriend, who initially was eager at the idea, but lost the nerve after finally revealing her relationship with her African-American boyfriend (yours truly, natch) to her very Japanese parents after having dated almost 3 years, simultaneously announcing her intention to leave the nest for the first time in life to go live with said boyfriend. Whoa. Talk about dropping a bomb (no pun!). This culminated in a discussion with her father, who very level-headedly advised her to try living independently before moving in with a significant other. I actually kinda agreed with the man. Subsequently, said girlfriend got cold feet and backed out of the deal, leaving said boyfriend hanging with a 2-bedroom apartment and double his previous rent. I accepted her apology also.
• One day, after a discussion confronting the reality of said boyfriend's ultimate desire to leave Japan for good, and said girlfriend's desire to remain in Japan, for good, said boyfriend and girlfriend sadly but amicably decided to become just friends.
• Bachelorhood ensued, and "clubbin'" became a weekend mainstay.
• As a 50th birthday tribute, I flew my moms over for a couple weeks during a sweltering summer break to see, smell, hear, touch, and taste the many offerings of Nagoya, Japan. It was a memorable visit.
• Capoeira training and play continued. I got a new cord and my skills improved. I heart capoeira!
  
• One of my worst fears came true, and I had to get emergency dental care in Japan, after suffering a major toothache. Fortunately, An American friend recommended his family dentist, Dr. Masuda, who turned out to be excellent, could speak limited English, and had one of the nicest dental offices I've ever been in. He saved my tooth as well as some other work. I was also shocked to discover how cheap dental care is compared to the U.S.--even without insurance; I figure I may have had close to $1K worth (US) of work done for less than $200. I gave Dr. Masuda's craft and chairside manner A's overall. The only thing I couldn't follow was his advice not to floss, claiming that flossing damages the gums. My reaction was "Mm..Perhaps a little, but what about cleaning out the cavity-causing crap from between your teeth?" Apparently, most Japanese people do not floss, though I know some do, as I've seen floss sold in pharmacies. I guess the habit of not flossing is a Japanese thing--I wouldn't understand.
• I performed in an international music festival in downtown Nagoya, called Spring Fest 2007, to promote international culture and ecology. I did a big set, rocked a crowd filled with friends, and sold my CDs as well. It was the type of venue I'd dreamed and struggled to be a part of since I'd come to Japan 5 years earlier. Ironically, that dream would finally come true, albeit 2 weeks before I left Japan for good.
• That's right. I said "Sayonara" to many great friends and Planet Japan after 5 challenging, educational, and awesome years abroad. Many factors came into my decision to leave, but most simply, the time had come, and the itch for newness and change had been intensifying over the previous year or so.

Now, as I've returned to the U.S. a more seasoned young man, I've realized that I remain the "Black Foreigner," facing new struggles, as I try to become reacquainted with my hometown, build new friendships, strive for independence, and try to figure out how a young African-American man such as myself can best apply my gifts and fit into this deeply troubled, beautiful, complex puzzle called America.

So stay tuned. From here on out, I won't promise you popsicles, but I pledge to make an effort to lend my humble yet stellar prosaic anecdotes to your world. Thanks for welcoming me back. It feels good to be home!