Tent City and a 1950's Coke Machine

The dream this morning begins in an army tent city. I see thousands of soldiers and they are taking down and removing tents. Night comes and many of the tents and soldiers have left. One large tent remains. I am talking with several men and we are looking a printed schedule of the week's events. Tonight is movie night in this lone remaining tent. Popcorn has been made and everyone is prepared for a relaxing night of movies and a lot of officers are already dressed in civilian clothes.

However, a general wants to start the evening by informally handing out awards. I am shocked when my name is called and he hands me an award scroll.




The dream then shifts to a different time and place. Suddenly, it is the 1950's. I am up on the roof of a house with several teenage boys. We have a long funnel that is two stories high and down at the street is a pop machine. The funnel is feeding into the coin receptacle. The boys and I are pouring buckets of coins into the funnel to fill the machine with money. We have this fantasy that the machine will supply the neighbourhood with an endless supply of free cokes for everyone and we will be thought of as heroes. However, there is much debris mixed in with the coins like paperclips and bits of cardboard. This is preventing us from smoothly and properly filling the machine with money. We keep having to stop and removed these items. Then I wake up.

This dream was like reliving some past life memory. I remember from my time in the Michigan National Guard of seeing tent cities and I actually spent time taking down tents. Early in my career Summer Camp Annual Training actually involved soldiers sleeping and working in a tent city. Soldiers now have it easy and stay in modern barracks. the Army has gotten soft.

I can remember getting medals and certificates at the close of Summer Camp. I kind of miss those experiences. It feels like another life time ago. It has been 5 years now since I retired. I suppose I unconsciously yearn to relive those days. Those were hard working days. I was cook and never got to enjoy much time off.

This thing with the 1950's pop machine really seems odd and interesting. This part definitely feels like a memory that has resurfaced. I was born in 1962. That era was way before my time, yet I really felt like I was living in it and it was a genuine experience. I wonder if it is possible to fill up and old pop machine like that and get endless cokes out of it? I imagine the kids might have pulled out one pop bottles only to discover it would only dispense one with each deposit of money. That would have been a major disappointment for their efforts! I chuckle at the thought and feel sorry for them and their good intentions. This dream leaves me feeling nostalgic. I begin my day feeling good.