Last night I dreamt that I was in a stage play. In the middle of the performance with about six actors on stage, a long and dreadful silence occurred. Someone had forgotten his or her line. I was fairly sure that it wasn’t I, but I was unsure who was responsible for the break in dialogue.
I tried so hard to remember what the next line was, so that I could whisper it. I wondered why the prompter wasn’t feeding the line to the actor. I tried to think of something to say that fit in with the scene and would help us get back on track. I feared that if I said the wrong thing someone would pick up with a line from the next act and the situation would be irretrievable.
I was holding a very old book in my hands. The book was small and narrow…taller than it was wide. The cover was thick and stained. The pages were yellowed and ragged. I tried to search through the book without being obvious to the audience. I thought maybe the next line was in the book.
The on-stage silence dragged on and on. The audience remained quiet. Eventually the entire scene drifted away without resolution.
When I woke up this morning, I kept thinking about the dream and wondering if it had meaning.
Which actor has forgotten the line?
If he or she waits too long to speak, should I say something?
What if I say the wrong thing and life goes off in some crazy unintended direction?
Where is the prompter?
Is there an answer in the ancient book?
Who has the next line?
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