A Dream For Steve

My sister sent me a link to this article describing Steven Tyler suddenly taking over a karaoke contest with his rendition of his own “I Don’t Want To Miss a Thing.” Later that night I had this dream:

I’m driving around a neighborhood that looks partly my own, but then also partly strange and off, such as is any familiar place that is duplicated in a dream. I find an unusual establishment and stumble into the odd bar looking for a brew late in a Tuesday evening. I am greeted by the warmth and stench of the smoke and alcohol from the bar and the smell of fried grease emanating from the kitchen. The place is largely empty, save for about a half dozen drunks participating in an oddly subdued and low key karaoke party opposite the bar.

I make my way the bar and order a beer and quietly share it with a few other patrons as we watch the muted basketball game on TV. We are all just sort of enjoying the inhibition-less singers as they perform their favorite love songs. After about thirty minutes I am well into my second beer and I hear the faint opening chords of Oh, Sherrie...I don’t look up, I just smile to myself soaking in the greatest love song ever written.

When the performer begins to sing—as no one else on this planet can—there is no reason for alarm, no need to jump or make the dozen immediate phone calls that are surely warranted by this once-in-a-lifetime situation. I simply sit quietly. My eyes never leave the beer in front of me, as my ears soak in the beautiful ballad.

After the song completed, I paid my tab and headed out, finding the singer on my way. It wasn’t hard to recognize him—I know his face well—though he is older now, even weary, but not necessarily sad; it is almost as if he is totally at peace. I simply walked up to him, shook his hand and offered, "Thanks," and the look in his eyes let me know that's all he needed, and I quickly shuffled out.

I hopped in my car and started the ignition. The radio sprang to life by was initially drowned out by the roar of the starting engine, as the pistons settled down the sound coming from the old car stereo speakers became more clear….”Should’ve been gone….”

And then, I woke up.