Other people's dreams

I just had a very long, and strangely realistic dream. There was a houseshare between 5 gay men in their 30s, and one emotionally fagile lesbian. I met one of the men by chance on a bus, got talking, and wound up in his room talking about music.

There was no sex in this dream, though there was plenty of friendly and supportive hugging.

I got to know each of the inhabitants in turn and in combination, in a series of episodes spread over 3 or 4 days. We talked, compared lives, and charted the progress of their attitudes toward me from uncirtainty to warmth.

Each person had a distinct face, frame, choice of clothes, and a seperate personality. The man I first met was about 30, with a stubble, black straight limp hair, a fondness for synthpop, and a laid back manner. The woman was underweight, articulate and talkative, and had difficulty trusting people.

The final conversation was with a man of 38, with a shock of curly orange hair, a fondness for bright sweaters, a slightly weathered face, and a tendendy to laugh and smile.

The whole dream was, literally, from my point of view, and it was me as I am now behind the eyes. But each of the people had their internal lives, and relationsips with each other just as complicated and ambigious and difficult to define as theirs with me.

I note this dream beacuse (a) it was so realistically complex and (b) because I felt at home in that place.

There's one other thing. They all told me their names, but I can't remember any of them.

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Yesterday was spent mostly with The Strict Machines, recording them practice, so they could hear it back later and evaluate their own performance and progress. Paul T seems to have crashed into a midlife crisis, having gone in a week from prolix, wildly enthusiastic, and unthinkingly egotistical, to taciturn, depressive and hyper-self-critical. While still being unthinkingly egotistical.

Fabio was his usual quietly smart and competent self, letting other people's conflicts and problems roll off him like water off a duck. He's actually a very good drummer.

We've all had the same (respective) cold for the last month. Anna managed so sing quite well despite having 'snot up to here'. She is out of sympathy with Paul's moods - I think she should find another band.

She's rather envious that I'm going out with someone. Which is odd, because she has a great relationship with James, her long term boyfriend. He's an absolute brick - steady, reliable, supportive, and just a bit dull. The trouble is...well, most of the songs she writes are about brief, highly charged relationships with women.

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Right. Today I have to finish the latest song for SongFight. I'm in Man Speaking German, on the grounds the competition will be less for that title. So, as it turns out, is Nick.