Open Writing

I’ve had the strangest dream. It’s probably got something to do with all this rich food I’ve enjoyed lately - my body simply isn’t used to it.

I’d been out to dinner with a local singles group celebrating Christmas in July. We all had to bring a plate. Instead of having my usual evening meal of a simple grill with salad, and a glass of white wine, I had baked ham, potato salad, various specialty dishes I couldn’t put a name to, and several glasses of champagne. I like champagne but it doesn’t like me and leaves me hyped up and quite restless.

The cat and I went to bed quite late and I settled back with a book of Soduku puzzles until my mood had calmed and I switched off my reading light.

I must have been asleep when I was visited by this spirit form of extra-sensory intelligence.

I felt the slightest kiss on my right eye – my dominant eye. My mind settled rapidly and I started to drift off into a deep sleep.

“Don’t worry,” said the spirit. “I’m just borrowing your body briefly to empower me to undertake some earthly business.”

“Business?” I inquired, weakly.

“Nothing you need to know about old boy,” the spirit said. “However, for this favor, I’ve given you a rather precious gift.”

“Gift, what gift?” I asked.

“You will be able to see things with your right eye in a way you usen’t to,” the spirit said. “To see things the way you normally saw them, simply close your right eye and view through the left. But remember, the right eye tells only the truth and sees through deceit immediately.”

With that, the spirit left and I fell asleep.

Next morning, I woke feeling energized, not seedy at all. It had been a most refreshing sleep.

I went into the bathroom and caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror. I was shocked. Do I really look like that, I asked, eyes wide? I blinked my right eye and I looked different. I closed my right eye, and there was my old self smiling at me from the mirror.

I opened the right eye, and noticed something was wrong with me. The right eye noticed the dehydration in my brow, possibly from last night’s champagne. There was a grey hair in my eyebrow. Shock, horror. Pluck it out. No, said my right eye. Your body is telling you that you need some vitamin B12 and you may need some copper.

Why would I need some copper? I asked the mirror. The right eye looked back carefully at me and the person in the mirror said, those new vitamins you take are really high in vitamin C. An overdose of C inhibits copper uptake. Copper is involved in the pigmentation of your hair. Also in the elasticity of your veins. Your body is telling you something now that you have the wit to see it.

I thought about the dream and the gift from the spirit who had borrowed my body. What else can I see? I looked with both eyes at the man in the mirror.

What’s that dark shadow under my eyes? More dehydration?

No, said the man in the mirror, his right eye shining. You’ve been eating a lot of bread. That’s what has given you that bloated feeling. While you enjoy bread – most of us do, having been told from the cradle that wheat is the staff of life – the fact is it’s too rich for you. You only need a little bit.

Too rich? What nonsense.

Not at all, said the man in the mirror. You are from a long line of successful animals. They endured Ice Ages long before your ancestors learnt how to cultivate wheat and other grains.

What are you saying? I asked him.

Only that now you can see who you are, you can be accountable to yourself for your own health. Remember those wild women who bore you? They didn’t have supermarket foods and refrigerators. They ate natural food, picked fresh - fruits and salads, greens, roots and yams, a little meat, fish, shell fish.

You want me to eat more salads?

I want you to be happy. Start with your health and live for ever – wrinkle free – or die trying.