Maggie Sims. Do you recognize that name? No? Well,
it’s the name of the woman of my dreams.
Seriously. I’m going to tell you
a story that is so odd that I’ve wrestled with whether I should even share it in
any kind of public arena. I’ve decided,
though, that it is too weird not to share. . .
For Christmas my niece Mary gave me
a wool ski cap from Canadian-based sportswear company ROOTS. I don’t ski but she knows I like hats. One night last week it got really cold here
in the Valley and I decided to sleep wearing the cap. That tidbit is not the embarrassing part of
this story!
I typically go into a deep sleep
and have dreams that play out like movies.
I don’t actually recall my ROOTS-capped dream except that I woke up
remembering that there was a woman in my dream named “Maggie Sims.” Odd as I don’t know anyone with that name – I
don’t even know a Maggie.
In the days following, I wondered
what could be significant about “Maggie Sims.”
Finally, I decided to check if there was a Maggie Sims on LinkedIn. Yeah, this is the part where things get
really weird!
I typed in her name and a bunch of
“Maggie Sims” popped up – the first Maggie, though, lives in Texas and is a
marketing director. . .for ROOTS sportswear!
WHAT THE???
I get a ROOTS ski cap as a
gift. I sleep with the cap. I dream about Maggie Sims. Maggie works for ROOTS – in the non-dream
world. What can I say? I have been in awe of the “coincidence” /
synchronicity of it all. . .and once again, I am invited to remember that there
is more to life than I can fully comprehend.
In case you’re wondering, I did go
out and buy a lottery ticket – and ended up not matching even one number!
So what does it all mean? I don’t know.
What I do know, though, is that I’ve been reminded just how easy it is
to take the wonder of life for granted.
I want order and predictability.
I want apps that will give organization to my day. I want food that’s fast. I want knowledge and connection and
gratification that are at my fingertips tapping on a smart phone or
tablet. And all of that is beyond
great. It’s phenomenal really,
especially when you know that an olive green princess wall phone and an IBM
Selectrix typewriter were the height of my teenaged high-tech world!
Maggie Sims, though, reminds me
that there is so much more to life.
In his play, “Small Craft
Warnings,” Tennessee Williams has one of the characters ask this question, “What is the one thing you must not lose
sight of in this world before leaving it?
Surprise. The capacity for
surprise.”
Life is full of shocks that can
knock us about. Surprise, though, is
something else. It’s what gives life moments
of refreshment and healing. Surprise can
remind us that although life is whacky, it summons us to put forth whatever
good we have in us.
If I were a songwriter, I’d
probably write a ditty about Maggie Sims, but I’m not. Instead, I’m going to
let her challenge me – challenge me to renew my respect for the mystery of life
and people.
I’m resolved to renew my commitment
to being curious, to letting go and to being grateful.
Okay, that last sentence really
sounds nice, if I do say so, but it masks my frustration. You see, I want Maggie Sims to hold some
lesson for me, some insight that I then can pass on to you, but, I don’t think
there is any lesson connected to the dream.
Have I done anything differently
since my ROOTS-inspired dream? Not
really. Should I have? I don’t know.
What I do know is that I don’t want
to live in a numbed state. I want to
live a life that is as vibrant as my dreams.
And maybe that’s Maggie’s gift – a call to renewal.
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