Thursday, October 23, 2014

Sports Dream

     I had this dream, not sure if it was reocurring or that it was just a long extended dream. Could have been either but I am leaning it towards just being a long dream, as I was after all, in the coma for a long time. This dream was pretty vivid. One of those dreams where you feel you are a part of it, sort of like another dream I had that I wrote about the theatre, where it almost seemed like I was part of a movie. It takes place in present time, in New York City. The city and I am sure for whatever reason in this dream that the entire nation, and probably world is in shambles. Buildings destroyed, people dead or dying, hospitals broke down and police, fire and rescue departments all a mess or worse. The Military and the Government are nowhere to be found. I don't know if it has been from a war, terrorists, natural disasters, or in my weird dream mind; aliens, Godzilla or vampires. However it happened I don't think anybody really cares at this point. Most survivors have their share of scrapes and scratches but are relatively fine. We all seem to be aware of the probable fact that we are all going to die because of what whatever is going on. About all we know is what is left is important. And what we do know that is left, or remaining standing is the baseball stadium, Yankee Stadium. Now I am not a Yankee fan, but I appreciate the history and lore of the Yankee's and baseball in this country in general. It has been played in the states for a long, long time and has meant a lot to many people.
     This is where the plan in my dream comes in. We need to get to the stadium. All of us. Whoever is left, able to get there at any means, needs to get to Yankee Stadium to watch the baseball game. This clearly would be the "Greatest Game Ever Played" just because of the significnace alone. We don't know what will happen if we make it to this game, or what would happen if we don't, but we had to try nonetheless. The game is to be played at sunrise in New York and the two teams are remaining players from the Majors. Mainly American players, but some from other nations around the world as well. The game is as much to get people united as it is to show importance of the world not giving in, to whatever has happened. The worlds greatest sport, in the worlds greatest nation, one game to unite us all. (Ok that sounded like the Lord of the Rings a little, sorry.) It is sundown now, we are several miles away and have little light and no great direction and really terrible terrain. And we are off, off to Yankee stadium, to get to this game. I don't even know who I am with, but I do know that most of us are friends.
     As we are on our way with our flashlights as our only source of light we just start walking in the direction we believe is the correct way. Everyone in our group agrees, this is the correct way to get there. None of us argue about anything. Most of our homes have been destroyed and most of our families have been lost, left back, or have died during this worldwide devastation. But amazingly enough, nobody is angry or even all that sad. It is like we all just know what we are supposed to do and that we all need to get along.
     A few hours have passed and we meet up with some people. They are more injured than we are but are able to travel with us but they decide to stay and help others on their way. One of the younger boys starts walking with us and I ask if he's coming with. He says no, but wanted to tell us that he heard that Joe Buck is announcing the game and that if I saw him to tell him hello because he was a big fan. I said sure buddy, if I see him I promise I will. Then I asked him if he was the only announcer for the game? He said no, some other guy, first timer, named Jeff Moore. I just kept walking with the boy and said thank you. He gave me and a few others a fist pump hand shake like most kids seem to have learned and goes back to his family. We keep walking with some of our flashlights dimming but it didn't matter, the stars were out as bright as they were in the country where I grew up as a child. I have been quiet for awhile now and my friend asks what's up. I said that boy told me who Joe Buck's booth partner was. I said that it was my brother, and that he finally made the big time of announcing pro ball. He was happy for me and my brother but asked me what was wrong. I said how happy I was, but that this will be his first and last game.
     We can see a dim light coming from the distant eastern sky as the sun was creeping up. Must be about 4AM or close there after, so we probably have about 3 hours before the game. We all see this and can assume we all realize this, but we don't panic, we don't rush, we just plug away like we have been; step by step through all the broken brick and all the burned down streets, trying not to stare at the dead. Now we realize that in fact we have been going the right way because we see the stadium in
the distance. I start thinking about all the history.. Babe, Gehrig, Mantle, Reggie.. all of whom I never
saw play. It didn't matter, it kept me, and I have a feeling the others, maybe not even baseball fans, hope. Hope in what, I for one didn't know. But I did know that we were not going to stop now.
     As we approach the stadium, about two blocks away, we start hearing some music. Can't say for sure what it was, but it was beautiful. Now we are stuck. Damn one way roads. The end of the road is blocked off by and recently knocked over building and we have to turn around or go over. We decide to go back a block and go around as the building is to dangerous. Then we stop. We hear more music, except it's not music, it's singing. And it's not just signing, it's the National Anthem. We all stop and look at each other. Those of us wearing them, take our hats off, and then start walking towards the broken down building and start climbing. We climb and we fall, we get up and climb and fall some more. This building wasn't going to stop us. Bricks would shatter and fires would start but we kept going, climbing until we reached the top. Stadium in full view. Beautiful. Now we trek down this broken building. Slowly, carefully, but we don't stop and I'm not sure anyone took their eyes off of Yankee Stadium. The Anthem is over. It is almost game time.
     We reach the bottom of the building, we are on the street looking up at the stadium. We are much closer now and can see that the stadium has taken it's toll from whatever disaster the rest of all of us went through. But, with bits and pieces no longer holding strong on this building, it still stands high. High above the rest of the city, and it's more beautiful than ever. The place is crowded, people going in every door, but there is no chaos, no vendors, no police, not even ticket collectors because there were no tickets. As we get to the door the building we crossed behind us crumbles to the ground and a huge cloud of smoke blows across the building. I for one hardly noticed. I heard my brothers voice, heard him from the loud speakers from the game booth. It was awesome. Now I hear Joe Buck. It is time to get to our seats. Wonder if there are any seats?
     As we get inside the stadium, still listening to these great announcers, the sun begins peaking out of the horizon. Brightest sun I can remember seeing and it wasn't even fully out yet. We find some seats, wherever we wanted to, and we just happened to be within a few rows of the announcers booth. Then a loud "Play Ball" comes from the field and the teams take their positions. I look up to my brother as the sun shines down on the entire, packed stadium. I am not sure who was more happy,
him for making his dream of announcing, or the fact that I made it. The game starts and my dream
ends. I tried 'falling back asleep' to remember, or if I was in fact still in my coma, I did what I could to 're-dream' my dream and see how it ended. Not who won the game, but how did we survive? Or did we even survive? And did I get to say hi for that sweet boy? The dream never came back. Once I did wake up, when ever that was, I remembered my dream, and still remember it, but I can never finish it. Maybe though, I did. Maybe I made it. Alive.

-Cheek

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