I dreamt a dream

The title sounds like something from a musical, I think Les Miserables maybe. Anyway, i had this weird dream one day, kind of poignant and strangely haunting.

Its like i was watching this drama show on television and it was from an entirely third person narrative. I watched as this guy went about his own business, trekking in the snow, hunting. And he stays in this log cabin on some icy mountain somewhere. From the moment he leaves the house, his breakfast is ready and waiting for him. Coming home at the end of the day, the water is hot and steaming waiting for him. (At that point in time i didn't really question the logic of someone bathing after being in the snow) The next morning, the same routine sets him except he went to collect his tools from the storeroom or something. At that juncture he finds the corpse of his wife who has been dead for more than 24 hours. (Again there is a gap in the logic as i have no idea how a hunter can ever estimate the time of death in greater detail than 'recently' or 'a long time ago')

Anyway, my point of contention is simply this. The hunter never noticed his wife's disappearance until a long time later simply because all he wanted from her was there waiting for him.

Are we all like that? I mean do you ever realise that there are no taxis on the road when you need one unless you woke up late and you are supposed to start work half an hour ago? Or do you realize that there is no toilet paper unless you have rushed into the toilet with your pants down already.

More specifically, do you notice the people around you unless they are not there to fulfil what you perceive as their role in their lives? For example, if you are an average employee do you notice the accounts clerk is not around unless you need your claims reimbursed. Or the IT personnel is actually on leave when your PC crashes. Maybe in the working environment that's more acceptable since its a mutually dependent relationship. No dependence no relationship.

What about our social lives? I was scrolling through my phonebook the other day and i realize some of the long dormant numbers i have are actually some of the greatest people i know.

Like my classmate from JC, i never thought about calling him until i saw his face in a magazine. And this is a guy whom i was really close with in school. Maybe the fact that we moved houses and changed our telephones had something to do with but when we met up after a 5 years hiatus, we talked as though we still see each other everyday. Then somehow it just fades. And than he tells me he is getting married 4 years later and we meet up. The bond is evidently still there but some how we never saw each other for another year until the picture in the magazine came up.

Or my university friend. We used to hang out at each other's rooms cause we were in the same hostel all the time. Back then M1 SMS was free so we sent each other close to 30 SMSes each day. And we never ran out of things to say to each other. And since graduation, we hardly met. Although its never awkward when we meet and chat, some how meeting up just doesn't come naturally.

Are we just so caught up in our everyday pursuit that simple values like friendship and bonding seems so difficult? Evidently i am not THAT busy since i still have time to write silly posts and all but why am i not meeting up with old friends?

Its really kind of depressing that all the old friends i really cared about, unless they have been in constant contact with me through their efforts rather than mine, odds are all that remains are either memories or an unused entry in my phonebook.

Is it that difficult to pick up the phone and say "how are you doing? lets catch up this week"? How often do you bump into an old friend on the street exchange numbers and promise to call each other for coffee or something? Very often i imagine. How often do you actually meet the guy, next to never? I thought so.

Life is so transient i guess.

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