Ever have one of those really random dreams that leave you scratching your head for days, wondering where it came from and what it’s all about?
So, we do have a brown fence in the yard. And several weeks back had a painter give an estimate on putting a fresh coat of paint on some exterior trim along with repair of several slats on the fence that showed some wood rot. We talked a bit about matching the paint. The painter agreed to take care of it once the weather warmed a bit…
In the dream there was the brown fence, the painter working with his brush, and the gallon of paint I had purchased for the project. From the kitchen window I watched him open the can, stir the paint, and start the application process. He was careful and deliberate. Nothing unusual…
But as I washed my dishes in the sink and watched I found myself stunned at what was happening to the fence as the painter spread the paint over the new and existing boards — the paint was indeed the right shade of brown (I did buy it and saw it being inspected and mixed at the paint store. He was using the can I brought home.) However, as the brush moved over the boards, the entire span of fence began to continually change to random patches of many shades of brown giving the effect of a tie-dyed shirt! How peculiar! And the more the painter worked the more brilliant the color variations patterned and changed along the entire fence!!! The visual experience was both beautiful and unsettling. This wasn’t what the brown fence was supposed to look like! Yet it was exciting and unique!
The painter continued his work as if nothing was unusual about the paint color and changes! Me, however, I was both thrilled and puzzled, not sure what it all meant! Then I woke up…
As the days pass and I reflect on that dream about the brown fence I find myself concluding that the brown fence and its ever-changing shades of brown were simply a metaphor for life. No matter how much we try to make something just right, things will happen in their own way and in their own time…
