Last night I dreamt I was sitting on the floor of a thrift store, in front of a bookshelf. I was looking at children’s books, when I pulled out a manila pocket folder that was tucked in between the tattered editions of Dr. Seuss. I turned the folder upside down, and out poured someone’s elementary school class pictures. As I flipped through them, I realized they were my class pictures. I specifically remember seeing the picture from 4th grade, my happiest year of elementary school.

Initially I didn’t understand what was happening, why my things were in this thrift store. In a flash I understood that I had inadvertently given them away. I thought about how upset my mom would be if she knew how close I had come to losing them. I pulled another folder off the shelf, and found the books I had made in early elementary school, submissions to an LA school district contest in the mid 80’s. I felt enormous relief at finding these objects, grateful I had discovered them before someone else bought them or they were thrown out.

I can see some themes here, of growing up, leaving childhood behind and rediscovering those parts of myself from my early years that are worth keeping. I’m continually fascinated by what my subconscious, when given room to roam during my sleeping hours, will come up with.