SPLASH!

Friday, January 07, 2056, 9am

The sun woke me up this morning. There is a clear blue sky outside allowing the sun to flood into my apartment. This sunshine is unexpected as I have been too lazy to watch the weather report. There is hardly anyone out and about in Kiev as today is Orthodox Christmas. Last night was Holy Supper. It was nice to have so many of the family over. I’m afraid I fell asleep half way through the evening. I consumed way too much good food and wine.

Well, I have a lot to write in my journal today. I have decided that I can’t call my falling dream a dream any longer. Calling it a dream is misleading and doesn’t acknowledge its uniqueness. What shall I call it? “My Journey into the Twilight Zone,” after the old television show? My Other Reality? My Night Reality? Maybe using the word reality is a little too strong. Maybe I could refer to my night experience as my “Other Place.” I guess that will do for now.

This journal is not turning out as I expected. With this entry, I can see that its main focus is becoming my Other Place. Before I started this journal, I was thinking of writing down a few interesting episodes from my life and as much good advice as I could come up with for my family. Now I just want to record what is happening with me while I sleep.

OK, here goes. Last night I repeated the falling episode in the Other Place. Only this time, as the first light of the pool came into view, I changed my belly down position. I pulled my legs underneath me and straightened out so that I was now falling feet first. My theory was that, as I did not know how fast I was falling, it would be safer to land feet first. What to do with my hands and arms gave me a couple of choices. As fast as I was going I did not want the impact with the water to catch and injure my hands or arms. I seem to remember from my long ago training in the army that you should protect your face with your hands as close to your body as possible. On the other hand, I was thinking that I was going to need to get to the surface as quickly possible. So it would be nice to have my arms held above me so that I could take a quick stroke. I suppose that one hand over my face and one hand held above me would be silly. I think I’ll compromise by holding my arms over my head but squeezing them as tight as possible to my head.

The pool is getting larger now. How fast could I be going? Well, here goes, I hope that I don’t pass out. Most of all I hope that it doesn’t hurt. Hold your breath! Splash! Man, did that hurt. Oh god, I am deep. I stoke and then kick for the surface of the pool. I don’t think that I am going to make it. I want to breathe so much. I breaststroke, frog kick, dolphin kick, glide and repeat. I try to breathe the tablespoon of air in my mouth, it does not help. Just a couple of more strokes and I just might make it.

Air! Air! Air! As I float on my back I wait for my heart to settle down. I start to think that there is something very strange, besides everything that I have noted before. I swam to the surface, not like a 99 year old, but like I was still a beach lifeguard back in Santa Monica, California. That was eighty long years ago. I brought my right hand up to my face. My God, it’s not my hand, it’s not my arm. Actually, it is, but from eighty years ago. I am strong, tan and young from a time long ago. This certainly made the fall worthwhile. And this is no dream. I am awake and living all of this.

Now what do I do? I am treading water in a large, circular and warm pool surrounded by blackness. Now what do I do?