posted September 20, 2011 02:51 PM            

Now, this dream is not for your interpretation, but more a record of the very vivid dream I just had of meeting Eddie Vedder - I wanted to write it down to not forget it.

Like many fans around the world, I have just watched the movie PJ20 - it was played on 20 Sept everywhere at 7pm (maybe to prevent bootlegging and to celebrate 20 years of Pearl Jam for all fans "simultaneously?). Needless to say, it was a great film and many of us clapped at the end (one poor sap clapped part way through, but I didn't blame them - there were many great scenes, and moments I hadn't seen before). Many of us waited until the credits ended and the screen went blank, which I've never done before - so much of PJ art was shared right to the end, and Eddie was singing, so it was hard to walk out in any case. The credits never came over the black background - there were pics, and tickets, and scribbles, etc.

Anyhow, back to the dream. In the dream, I had just finished watching the movie. I had inched closer for some reason and I don't know where my wife was. I was in a different much larger theatre too. In any case, the movie finished, and I kind of milled about like everyone else with this smile on my face (similar to the one after the movie in real life). Anyway, along comes Eddie to meet some fans and see how the reaction was to their movie. I was kind of shocked to meet him, but really happy too, but I stayed calm (I know this was just a dream now, but I didn't then). So anyway, I was some how holding this phone that starts ringing for Eddie - I think it was a cordless that belonged to the theatre. So I answer it, and it's some guy who claims to be "Aldous Sverson" or something like that. And I remembered that somewhere in the movie, Eddie's last name was that, or his dad's last name was. So I tell tell the guy on the phane that Eddie's right next to me, and to hold. I gave Eddie the phone, and he's like "Who's that?" I'm like, "I think it's your brother?" and give him the phone. He answers it, and hands it back, and says "No, that's just some guy pretending to be my bother", so I hang up the phone without talking into it, and drop it on a theatre chair. Eddie walks off.

Later, I'm at a table in the foyer eating snacks for the celebration, and Eddie comes along again. We have more time to talk this time, and we're both smiling as we talk about whatever. Then I say, "Hey, I've got something for you" and I take out a business card from my work which is exactly like my actual cards, and turn it over, and there's a picture I've drawn on it. I write my name and hand it to Eddie, and say "Check out my drawing - it's a pitcure of Kurt Cobain when he was fifteen playing with his freinds - see that guy? That's Kurt." In the picture (which is somehow really clear for being on a business card and drawn from a black pen) is a sketch of four adolescents playing on a beach, and Kurt is hiding behind a rock ready to run out to everyone. So then, in my dream, I'm explaining to Eddie how I created this cartoon of Kurt and his friends running out to the beach. The dream turns into this sketch cartoon which then has colour, but is still very rough - there are yellows and reds, and it turns out the sun is setting in my cartoon and dream. I explain "it took a lot of patience to create art like that" and Eddie smiles and says, "Yes, I understand". Now mind you, I don't "create art" and am not good at drawing or creating cartoons - it was just the dream. But I loved how I related to Eddie in some way, and gave him some art that related to my life, but also the innocence of Kurt which I'm sure he still thinks about, but was able to live through, and that I am so thankful for. This is my interpretation of my own dream. Kurt was mentioned in the movie a bit, and there's a movie on Nirvana which is coming out soon as well. In any case, Eddie seemed appreciative that a fan had given back a tribute for Eddie's life in a way that was different from the way he has affected our lives. Art doesn't matter which form it comes in. We both just seemed to connect on so many levels by sharing this experience. You'll probably understand that I am a big fan of Ed and PJ - I have seen them twice from the front row, and once from the second, and twice from further back (I've seen Ed just once solo). I've loved their music since Ten came out - and was pretty young (about sixteen). Hey, that's almost the same age as the picture on the business card, and also (I might add) a reflection of male bonding tha I also didn't experience at that age. I had friends, but we didn't chase each other at the beach, but I think also this is a representation of feeling a similar bonding to fellow humans throughout my life that I've felt because of this band - not just from real people.

In any case, it's only 4:50am over here but I had to share that dream before I forgot it and I think I will print out this page and any comments, and send to the Pearl Jam fan club. I loved that film and feel blessed that they would deem to share more of themselves with the rest of us in a way we can really appreciate. Thanks so much Pearl Jam, and especially Eddie - I love you heaps.

Cheers,
Dean.

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I realized it for the first time in my life:
there is nothing but mystery in the world,
how it hides behind the fabric of our poor,
browbeat days, shining brightly, and we don't even know it.

Sue Monk Kidd, "The Secret Life of Bees", p79