The labyrinth

[boccaderlupo]

I dreamed back around Christmastime that my son and I were wandering in a winding labyrinth of bookshelves, reminiscent of a certain used bookstore in our neighborhood. You could almost smell those wooden shelves, all creaking and piled high with books. We were looking for my wife and daughter, and I would climb up the shelves and peer out across the labyrinth into the gloom, searching for any sign of them. I dreamed we finally came across a fellow I used to work with some ten years ago. He was sitting with his back slumped against the wall, wore a rumpled, gray business suit that was a size too large for him, and he had a dazed look on his face. He barely gave a sign of recognition when I said hello to him, and was clearly lost. My son and I stood him up and steered him through the aisles, searching for the exit.

Per the "rules" of folks from my part of the world, I looked the guy up and sent him a message inquiring as to how he was doing. After all, you never know when someone goes to join the Great Host in his shady halls, and, after all, it was the holidays. I never heard back from him.

I ended up hearing from the gentleman a few months later out of the blue, and he was going through rough times.

I guess ya never know.