Dave

I just had a dream about Dave and thought it a good idea to keep it here:

I was walking down a Vancouver street at night carrying a few rolls of network cable when a guy passed me and mumbled something about how I didn't recognise him. I turned around just as he said it and was met with an older, more mature version of David Alexander, my former best friend from way back.

Dave was "eaten by the church" when we were 17 and we lost (or cut?) contact not long after that. From my end, I felt as though the Dave I knew had gone away and been replaced by a bible on legs. He made new (good Christian) friends and started ignoring the rest of us. It would seem that his inner circle of Atheists and Pagans were no longer welcome in his life, and so we obliged him by ignoring him right back.

Getting back to the dream, I apologised for not recognising him and he explained that he'd lost some of his network cable, to which I offered to take him back to my place so we could go through my collection and I could give him what he needed.

Back at my apartment, while I sifted through my various cables, offering one length and colour after another, a group of people playing poker back by the kitchen spoke up and asked if it'd be alright if they asked us some questions 'cause they were in need of smart people. I laughed a little and replied, "Sure, don't you know who this is? This is my old friend Dave, he's really sma--".

I couldn't finish the sentence. I was suddenly reminded of how the well-thought, sceptical friend I knew had died and been replaced by this new Christian form. These people were interested in knowledge and what could he offer now? Would he consult that book of his for the "answers"? Would he promote Intelligent Design and talk about how dinosaurs co-existed with humans 6000years ago? Or would we be treated to a lecture on how homosexuality is a choice and how the great flood carved out the Grand Canyon?

I turned to him then, looked him square in the eye and said: "I'm sorry, but I don't think that I can be friends with non-thinking people."

And with that, I woke up. I woke without a feeling of loss or pity. I think I finally said goodbye to my old friend.