Random Story – I will not fall

This is just an odd little story from my life.

When I was a kid, I would have dreams where I would be running along the top of some skyscraper when I would fall off.  The shock of “falling” would make my body convulse and I’d wake up.  I can’t remember how often this happened, maybe once a week or so, but it got to the point that I hated waking up like that.

Then one day in health class, or something, our teacher taught us about dreams.  After class I told her how I had these falling dreams and she told me to tell myself “I will not fall” before I go to sleep.  So with all the energy of a ten year old, or whatever I was, I began repeating to myself “I will not fall.  I will not fall.  I will not fall.” That ran more or less constantly through my head for the rest of the school day, the bus ride home, and that evening.  And – as far as I remember – in the thirty-five odd years since then I have not had one dream where I’ve fallen off a building.

Some months later, I started having dreams where I’m carrying a priceless vase down an uneven sidewalk and I’ve tripped.  And just before I and the vase hit the ground, I’d jolt myself awake.  These dreams happened less often – maybe once a month – and after a year or so they just stopped.  Looking back, I find this all hilarious, but I’m not sure how I felt after my first tripping dream.