(The Kooks – She moves in her own way)

I listened without hearing, or was it the other way around?

I heard but wasn’t listening.

Until, that is, one line crystallised in my mind and it was the phrase ‘Paper Dreams’.

It jumped into me head like an eager school kid;

“Oooo, oooh…I know, I know.” Arm waving and face pink with excitement, it blasted rudely into my head.

‘What do you mean?’ I asked myself, but the flush of the moment dissipated. Nothing else was forthcoming and so I ignored it.

But someone told me that if you think a random thought such as this, and it seems so eager to enter your consciousness, it may not be so random.

Thoughts come and go, but totally unexpected and igniting reactions such as this perhaps comes from elsewhere, a memory triggered, a strong subconscious belief or wish, perhaps.

I promised the eager child, still bouncing in their seat with hand aloft, that I would reflect on the meaning when I had some time.

Later, I sat quietly at home and just started to hum the song from which the lyric came. I enjoyed the way it lifted me and despite the tuneless rendition, the eager child reappeared and was happy to join in.

I even looked up the lyrics, but they did not hold my attention as much as the bouncing child.

“What are our Paper Dreams?” she shouted and that is when I recognised her at last.

I once wrote down that I wanted to; ‘Write lots and lots of stories’.

I think I was about eight years old at the time, and even back then I realised I wanted to reach other people, but in a way that was more comfortable to me than face to face interaction.

My Paper Dreams are for a future which revolves more and more around time to make these markings on a page. Words that I find fascinating to put there because I think they were always waiting to come forth.

So maybe when an excitable child bounces into your brain in an unexpected way, give them some time and explore the commotion.

I think these children open doors for us oldies.