Sleepless Obsessions, A Tree Named “Linda”, and A Cry For Help

This morning I awoke obsessing about trees. Trees? Why trees? I’m not talking about specific trees – not in my yard, not in a nearby park, not seen on a hike that I’ve done, Sequoias, Cyprus, Coconut trees, or any trees that I’ve known or had any real contact with. This is a tree, or trees, that materialized in a dream last night – just evolved from sleep-state dream to wake-state obsession. You know, like when you find yourself unable to sleep in the middle of the night and there is something that is bothering you in a way that you can’t let go of – may not even be able to identify it in any clear way.  This experience wasn’t exactly like that but reminded me of those experiences.

Please allow me to explain: my dream is a story about a family that had purchased a home, moved in, and discovered a notebook filled with names that had been assigned to a tree, or trees, in their yard. Sometime in the past, a tree in the yard had been named. The name of the tree was not revealed in the dream, but the existence of the notebook was somewhat defined for me.

The notebook contains, perhaps, a couple dozen names that had been assigned to a tree in the yard. There is a suggestion that there might have been more than a single tree being named because a male/female relationship seems to occur in such a way that there are contiguous names assigned.

Names seem to have been assigned over a lengthy period suggesting a long and rich history of multiple dwellers over a long stretch of time. It could be 20, 30, 50 years or longer.

As this dream changes from sleep-state into partial wake-state and finally the “oh no” eyes-wide-open, “oh my gosh” obsession to define the contents of that notebook, I was saved by the realization that it was actually time to get up. This is the kind of thing that I know will haunt me. It will happen again. Perhaps tonight, perhaps tomorrow night, or another night – certainly, it will be in the middle of the night and I will need to dig down into my subconscious mind to fill in this notebook. Many sleepless nights are threatened by this kind of haunting obsession.

This experience will not be a substitute for counting sheep during a night when unable to sleep. This has the potential for a truly disturbing nighttime obsession. Please help me to keep this from happening. Help fill in the notebook and save me from sleepless obsessions.

A guide for doing this can be found in my morning experience as the transition from sleep-dream to subconscious to conscious took place.  In the dream I had begun to read the notebook and found that, for example, a tree had been named as a result of a visitor to the home casually observing that the tree was beautiful. This resulted being that the tree, just as casually, is given the name of “Linda” – Spanish for “beautiful.”

After this, my waking / dreaming is less clear. Either the same tree, or another that seems

somehow be paired, and is given a male name that also begins with the letter “L” and has 5 letters. I’m not clear on that name – might have been Lukas, or Loren, or Louis – it doesn’t matter. In this dream-story, however, a problem arises in that this male name has not selected with suitable selection logic. So, the name “Larry” is chosen.

The explanation for “Larry” is that it is a nickname for Laurence Olivier. Thus, a theatrical theme enters the naming process, and now “Linda” may have to go. It just doesn’t seem fit anymore. The process of replacing “Linda” might suggest how this call for help might work.

At this point, I am waking up and my brain is not functioning clearly. The beginnings of an obsession are though. At this stage, the notebook needs a female name that is involved with theatre and begins with the letter “L.” The 5-letter restriction is forgotten.  

Now, my mind racing obsessively to dig up potentially fitting names. How about: “Lucy” (Liu – love her as Watson)? “Linda” (Lovelace – springs into the mind early on because we wouldn’t have to change Linda’s name)? “Lauren” (Graham – there is something about her that I like, but not a big fan of the Gilmore Girls)? “Liv” (Tyler – she’s had some interesting roles, and I’m sure that Steven is very proud of her, but perhaps not my best choice)? “Lisa” (Bonet – will she always be a Huxtable?)? “La La” (Anthony – wife of Carmelo, don’t just love “La La”)? “Lea” (Michele – hot! versatile – she intimidates me for some unknown reason)? “Lisa” (Kudrow – smart, flakey, likeable)? “Lindsay” (Lohan – maybe a bit too crazy for my tree)? “Lady” (Gaga – I like it but what about “Lady” Day? The tree’s naming may have pre-dated Gaga)? Do you see how this is becoming obsessive?

The notebook does contain a rich and fascinating history. Thinking back later – after breakfast – the notebook seems to be filled with indecipherable hieroglyphic-like content. It needs to find its focus point with the names and history of their selection. The tree(s) seem naked without their names and stories. OMG, please help to fill this notebook in before sleep deprivation gets the better of me.

How did the notebook get started? And, how did it keep going? Does it begin with the name, “Geoff” – perhaps suggesting a rambling continuation of tales such as Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales?  I’ve always had a fascination with Scheherazade whose stories in the One Thousand and One Arabian Nights kept her alive as long as the yarns kept coming. Could the original name have been something like “Sche” or even “Cher”?

Just wondering what stimulated the beginning of this notebook contains high octane potential obsession. Oh, won’t you please help me?

In the Comments below please share your thoughts and suggestions. How would you name the trees in your yard? What would the reasoning be for the name(s) that you choose? Think of a house where you have lived – think of trees that you have known (hugged). Please help.

A Message to New Adapters of Social Media: Facebook is a Great Forum for Showing Off, Bullying, or Intelligent Discourse

An old friend has been considering joining Facebook. My friend is politically active in the community and is a personal archive of the good, the bad, and the ugly found in that community. A person the community needs, although certainly a thorn in the foot of some agendas. Needed, however, because, in these days of questionable facts, it is more important than ever to examine facts. What are facts, what are opinions, and what are misdirects?

Educating someone on the style of communication that is required for the effective use of social media is not an easy task. The concept of organic conversation shared electronically has a very informal nature rather than a more formal style that we might be, either used to, or simply want. And postings need to be short and snappy, engineered communication rather than ramblings.

A number of years ago, I made an effort to teach social media communication to fellow oldsters at the College for Seniors here on the university campus. Facebook was still relatively new and the senior demographic had become the fastest growing segment of Facebook users. At the same time, their children and grandchildren were still relatively new to the medium as well. It seemed that it was an opportunity for the more experienced and sage members of society to participate in an exciting new social experiment. If we could sensitize ourselves to the style of communication that was attracting others to Facebook, we would have a chance at a leadership role that would allow us to share our wisdom in a manner that might actually be heard.

My experience was similar to running into a stone wall. Those who signed up for the course were only

interested in seeing the images that their children and grandchildren were posting. They were reticent to sharing their own thoughts and ideas.  They couldn’t be bothered to attempt understanding how they might communicate with others. I asked them why they felt that this approach would do anything constructive. Why waste their energy on simply passive participation? Would they still be interested when those cute pictures of children turned into pictures of new tattoos, wild parties, and outrageous images of their friends acting out? This is what young people do. A long time ago, many of us lived this life.

Taking an active role on Facebook is a challenge. It requires an awareness of how to effectively communicate. It requires a commitment to an ideal. It requires a willingness to adapt. It is not a great medium for the righteous. It is, however, a great place to expose ideas and convince. This will not be done with a lack of respect, or drawing lines in the sand. As stated above, Facebook is a medium for engineered communication. Facts can be presented, reiterated, and later used as the basis for points that we would like to make. They cannot be tossed in the face of those with different points of view. Those folks already have their “alternate” facts. They need to be subtly led to truth not hit in the head with it.

At least this is my humble opinion. Now, can I show you my new tattoo?