Then, We Woke Up

By Alexandriana Davis

Then, I woke up.

I woke up at 3 am, my head lying on the counter near the coffee pot.  Someone was loudly ringing a bell.

“Hello?  I would like to be seated, please!”

I opened my eyes reluctantly, slowly getting my bearings on the world.  My image of the underground artist collective slowly began to fade, revealing the 24/7 diner I thought I had escaped.  It took the feeling of the cold countertop beneath my arms for reality to sink in.  

It had all been a dream.

Then, I woke up.

I woke up at 7 am to birds chirping near my window.  I rub my eyes, expecting to open them to a small room in my new little cottage.  Instead, I am met with my old bedroom, in my past reality.  Confused and panicked, I look around for Em.  Luckily, she is snoozing along on the other side of the bed, snuggled up in her blankets.  I release a sigh of relief before reality sets in.

It had all been a dream.

Then, I woke up.

A strong tap on my shoulder awakens me.  Groggly, I lift my head off my computer, feeling the imprint of the alphabet keys on my skin.  As my eyes adjust to the brilliant light, I hear a voice from behind me.

“The library is about to close.”

I groan.  I must have fallen asleep while I was studying.

I look around me once more, before, like a punch in the gut, the realization hits me.

It had all been a dream.

Then, we woke up.

I seat the person ringing the bell before going to sit down in the kitchen.  I cannot believe I am back here, in this diner.  I cannot stay here.  

I cannot keep living like this.

I notice that this dream has changed something in me.  The helplessness I once felt has evaporated. In its place is passion and possibility.

I decide to make a change.

From this day forth, I will limit my hours to as much as I can survive on.  I will work to build my own collective of creatives.  I will make my dream a reality.

Then, we woke up.

I look out my bedroom window, contemplating.  If my dream taught me anything, it is that this is not the life I want to be living.  I want to find freedom, creativity, and community.  I need to find something beyond the capitalist grind.

I decide to call in sick to work.  I need time to figure out what I can do to change my reality, and the reality of my daughter.  It may be a slow, gradual process.  It may take more time than what I would like.  But something has to change.

Then, we woke up.

I pack up my computer and study materials, still trying to process that my dream was just that.  A dream.  It felt so real, so tangible, as if it was just within my reach.

I feel my stomach sinking.  I still have that exam tomorrow.  I still have to continue studying.  I still have to exist within the capitalist system.

I open up my phone to call Riley.  I need to tell them about my dream.

While the phone rings, a thought finds its way to the forefront of my mind.  What if I created my own community on my campus?  With my friends?

The phone stops ringing.  A voice echoes through.

“Hello?”

I put the phone up to my ear.  “Hey Riley.  I had a dream.  Wanna make it a reality?”

~~~

The world is always moving.  To exist in a system focused on productivity, competition, and economic output is immensely difficult, if not impossible.  To have time for creativity now can feel like a privilege.

However, even when capitalism limits what we can do, even when all seems hopeless, we must strive to find time for art.  We need art and creativity to resist capitalism.  We need art and creativity to discover ourselves and connect with the world around us.  Only when we all find ways to create and find community can a new reality beyond capitalism be realized.  

So, I encourage you.  Even if it is just a few minutes a week, find time to make art.  Find time to write poetry, journal, and paint.  Find ways to create your own community dedicated to supporting one another.  And, above all, find time to dream.