Tuesday, June 4

The Case Full Of Memories

Old stool

I had a strong, vivid dream last night, which I couldn't stop thinking about, even after I had woken in the early hours. It was about my father's wooden case.

HMV
When I was young dad made himself a small case - briefcase size with his initials JAP in one corner - from offcuts of wood. In this he would pack his sandwiches for the day before he set off to work. In the evenings the case would contain his daily newspaper, in those days the News Chronicle, along with more small offcuts of wood which we would use for the fire in our living room. These he got from the carpentry department of the HMV factory where he worked for many years, This later became known as the EMI.

One of my biggest memories is of how we went to football matches together around the London area. He would again pack sandwiches, plus a flask of tea and also two blocks of wood.

Spurs stadium symbol
The blocks of wood were put on the ground, with the case on top. I would then stand on this when small so I could get a better view of the football. In those days most spectators stood when watching the match. Dad, me and the case went to see most of the London teams: Spurs, Arsenal, Chelsea, QPR, Millwall, Brentford and so on.

All in all the dream brought back a myriad of memories from when a child. I suppose my question is about vivid dreams like this: Could they be a form of spirit contact? Dad perhaps saying, "Don't forget me, I'm still about."

Maybe that is a bit fanciful for some, but some dreams do often appear to be meaningful and carry on ticking over, even when fully awake.

I remember reading somewhere about thoughts or words which 'pop' into the mind unexpectedly. The writer suggested that though we may not see any reason for these the subconscious (unconscious) does. Could it be that random thoughts and dreams are therefore related in some way?

Whatever the reason for my dream, it felt good to think about him. We have bits and pieces around the house that are reminders of my dad. The stool, for instance, at the top of this post is special for me. It may not look much but I can still see dad making this out of - yes - offcuts of wood from the HMV that would otherwise have been thrown away.

Then there's the glass biscuit barrel in our hall. On Friday evenings, after work, he would put the housekeeping money for the week ahead in the barrel for mum - and more besides.

Lots of happy memories were released from that wooden case.

Other Posts Featuring Dad:
Memories Of Perry Winkles
The Missed Post Coincidence And Other Wanderings
Speaking To My Dead Father

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10 comments:

  1. I believe vivid dreams of our ancestors are spirit contact for a variety of reasons, especially that we ARE because they lived. Tangible memorabilia full of good memories are awesome.

    My dad's legacy in our home isn't quite like yours. He was an electrician and the only thing he crafted out of wood was a "potty chair" for his first child. Which we all used. And my girls liked sitting on it while still in diapers but used an upgraded version for their actual toilet training.

    I also used it as a bathroom decoration for years, setting a potted plant in the hole.

    It's still in my main bathroom, is in desperate need of a new coat of paint, but it's used now as a booster for young ones learning to wash their hands and not tall enough to turn on the faucets. The large hole in the center makes it fun to stand on.

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    1. Thank you Terri. Good to hear of your potty chair, it's good to have these memories around us.

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  2. Lovely story about you and your dad. It would be good to think that he was with you in your dream.

    My mum and dad are still with me but I have my grandad's tool box full of chisels and other bits which I keep in my bedroom! I've polished it so that it looks shiny and it sits in the corner of the room. BF thinks I'm mad having it there but grandad was very special to me when growing up.

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    1. A tool box in your bedroom - unusual (I think) but a real reminder of your granddad.

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  3. Re:
    "Could they be a form of spirit contact?"

    I say yes,but you would have to go on gut feeling.
    The last vivid dream I had was the blue car dream I often write about on my blog.All other dreams I have had since that night were just dreams.
    The blue car dream felt like it came from outside of my consciousness,or subconsciousness,if that makes any sense?
    It was like I was given a puzzle to solve,and it has led me down some very interesting paths since.
    Keep turning it over in your mind,as the message isn't always as straight forward as we think.
    It's usually multi-layered,as in "hi,I'm still here,but have a think on this,because it's important to you and your life".

    I've had maybe two or three dreams like this in my life,and they all prove uncanny down the track,as if someone is trying to get a message through to me from beyond my own subconscious.

    This is only something you can judge for yourself.

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    1. Like so much in life it's how we judge it - whether that be intuition, feelings, precognition, dreams and so on. Your blue car dream, and where it has led, has been interesting reading

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  4. Dreams are definitely a form of spirit contact. I think your dream is beautiful, Mike, evoking such wonderful memories. It's one of those BIG dreams, like Daz mentions. Your dad sounds like he was a terrific father and person.

    After Carl Jung's wife died, he had a vivid dream about spending a day in the south of France with her. When he woke, he knew he HAD spent the day in France with her and that she was still involved in research she'd done in life about the legend of the holy grail.

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    1. I hadn't heard that Carl Jung dream - amazing.

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  5. Here's an odd synchro - on my last comment, one of the confirmation words was definite!

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  6. Here's a talk by Hollywood director Rich Martini,who talks about dream visits,and life after death -

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xSw3vQUyj3U&feature=player_embedded#!

    Interesting stuff.

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