I had what I call a Mentor dream last night: when someone you respect and admire comes and speaks to you.....(the photo is of me and Nanci when i met her in Little Rock after a show...I had given her stage manager a letter and so she wanted to talk to me afterward....one of the best moments of my life).So, the dream....
I was on this campus-type area, walking through a wooded area with benches and fountains and bird feeders. It was still a little dark, but the sun was up. I looked ahead on the path and realized that Nanci Griffith was walking toward me, trailed by a body guard. I had known she was in the area for a show--perhaps at this place that night.
As we passed I said softly, "Hi, Nanci."
She said back "Good morning, Jae."
I stopped and turned to stare at her, and she stopped and looked back at me, smiling. I said, "How in the world could you possibly remember me, with all the faces you see?"
She strolled back toward me. "I remember you," she said.
We started walking together. She seemed very calm, very at peace with everything. I could feel her energy traveling through me and it made me feel peaceful too. She said softly, "You're doing very well, Jae. You've come a long way."
I felt my throat constrict a little with emotion and I kept walking. My usual reasons why this could not be true seemed to be stuck somewhere inside, and I couldn't say them.
She continued: "You're very talented, and you have gifts to bring into the world. It's your responsibility and your honor to share them."
We walked in silence for another little while, listening to the birds sing. She said, "And it's good that you quit smoking." She smiled at me and I looked at her again with amazement.
"How do you know about that?"
She only smiled back knowingly.
"How can you possibly remember me?" I asked her again.
She said, "You're not as forgettable as you think. You make an impression on everyone you meet. What kind is always up to you."
The dream faded then.
