story 3

by nick nelson

last night i had the strangest dream. i dreamed i was contacted by eddie jones, a person i barely remembered from high school. and whom i had not thought of in years. my memory of eddie jones was that he was one of the uncoolest kids in school and a misfit who did not even hang out with the other misfits. i could not remember exactly what the reason for this was, or if there was a reason. like most people, including me and you, he most likely just was what he was. what i did remember - vividly - was my one meaningful encounter with eddie. like most meaningful encounters, it happened in the school cafeteria. for some reason, the cafeteria was unusually crowded. i always sat by myself because i did not have any friends, but i always made sure i did not sit beside or across from some geek, because then everybody would think they were my friend. but in this cold rainy day the cafeteria was full. thee were almost no seats available at all. i could not just stand there in the aisle with my tray in my hand forever like a dink. finally i found a spot at the end of a table, beside the window, with no one sitting across from me. a bunch of dorks from the chess club or the astrophysics club took up the other seats at the table and ignored me. and then - eddie jones sat down across from me! i can not go on. i can not describe what happened next. let’s just say it was the worst thing that ever happened to me, or that i hope ever happened to me, and leave it at that. anyway, in my dream, i was contacted by eddie jones and for some reason - it was a dream, remember - i agreed to meet him at this place that was a sort of combination post office and pizza and sub shop. when i arrived, eddie was not there yet. but there was some kind of commotion in one of the corners of the place, which was pretty big, though not very well lit. i went over to see what was going on - and it was billy rogers! billy rogers signing autographs, and selling his new cd or book or whatever. billy rogers! the person i, and billions of others most wanted to be! the three time super bowl winning quarterback, recording star, and nobel prize winning author and time magazine’s four time best looking person on the planet! needless to say i joined the line waiting to get billy’s autograph. there were a bunch of billy’s personal security guards keeping the line moving with an iron hand. i never did get to the head of the line before the announcement came, that’s all folks, billy needs his rest, come back some other day. but i didn’t care, i had forgotten all about eddie jones. i don’t know if joined the line or if he ever showed up at all but he was not there and i realized i would never have to see him again. i woke up. it was all only a dream. life was good. i love myself, and i am happy to be alive.