Wake up dead

by Jon Sullivan - 2023-08-21 - Stories

<<<<< previous blog         next blog >>>>>        album containing this post's photo

---

My intention was to go to the GBB Fest VII concert with friends. Then reality dissolved, and I soared through strange new dimensions.

I used to go to Grateful Dead concerts in the 60s with my parents. I knew this. Because that's the sort of hippie shit my parents did. Stories of it were told around the dinner table. But at 60 years old I'd long since forgotten all the memories of actually being there. I had vague memories of the huge crowds in Golden Gate Park, the smell of a thousand joints wafting past, the peace signs plastered on every surface. But I had no memories of the moments, of being there, because it all runs together, and all that's left is snippets of my childhood. Several times at the GBB Fest concert, when the PA would play old live Dead songs between sets, like magic the moments would come back, and I'd remember what I'd never remembered.

I'd remember the gray wool blanket we'd always sit on at concerts. The heavy ancient metal Coleman cooler we'd lug to our spot. I was transported. I was there again. And my mother was singing Ripple, and my father was dancing, and thousands of people around me were all praying for peace. And I wept. And I wished my parents could be here again, now, here, with me. And then they were. And we sat together on that old ratty blanket. And I wept tears of happiness, because there was too much happiness to keep in.

It's the life that lies sleeping when you think you're awake
Forever is real and the rest is just fake
And though volumes are written on this subject alone
She used three simple words and she brought it all home

Wake up she said
Wake up dead - Arlo Guthrie

And I stepped through....... something...... Suddenly I was walking through what looked like a horror movie. A crowd was staring at me. Their eyes so wide open they were true circles, grinning like devils, legs bouncing, arms flailing. For a few seconds I was afraid. I felt very strange. Where was I? What is happening? Were these entities even humans? But then I realized that I was doing the same thing, wide eyed grinning and flailing. This was the dimension of joy, and these were joy creatures, and we were all possessed by wondrous and unstoppable happiness. This wasn't frightening. This was the opposite of a horror movie. So I let the crazy grin take over. And I floated in joy, with the joy entities. And we listened to the sound track of joy. And we danced the joy dance. In the dimension of joy.

Many have I loved, and many times been bitten
Many times I've gazed along the open road
Many times I've lied, and many times I've listened
Many times I've wondered how much there is to know - Led Zeppelin

And then I stepped through....... something...... Suddenly I was in space. And around me were dozens of.... hard to describe, though I remember them clearly..... two dimensional square blue lights. Turning, swaying, floating silently. And I realized these blue squares were dancing to some music I couldn't hear. Dancing in silent space. They might have been aliens, or alien tech. There were no clues, just floating lights. Also, without speaking, they seemed very friendly and welcoming. I considered... what? Joining them? No. I considered becoming one of them. Becoming a blue square light in the darkness and dancing to the music only such entities could hear.

And then I stepped through....... something...... I was back at the concert, back in my home dimension, or so I thought. But then a Gnomish bard walked up to me and we chatted. His English was perfect, which is good since my Gnomish is crap. Just talking, but it was..... different? I was having one conversation, he was having a totally different one, but we were still talking about the same thing. Somehow? I liked that gnome. He was a cool dude. Just being next to him you could feel the adventures he'd lived. I think he told me his name was Harrison. I gave him my email address, he gave me his.

There was much more. I sailed through dimensions. I experienced concepts as physical landscapes. There were space craft and rivers of light and sea creatures flying through the air. I saw and heard things I can't describe. I keep telling people I'm crazy. They keep saying I'm obviously not. That's just their opinion man, I'm crazy. But after thinking about it for the last year I've decided it doesn't matter. If the price for being this blessed and happy is to also be crazy, so be it. We rock on.

It was a great music festival. Still going through photos and processing. But here are some good ones so far. To all those who hugged me and shared your joy, all those who told me their stories, to all who smiled at my energy and returned it in kind, THANK YOU!!! I'll carry your love and joy with me until we meet again.

<<<<< previous blog         next blog >>>>>

---