Dream
A new string of islands was discovered, and each one had its own new species of animals. Mom got super excited and decided to make it her new career to study them. While helping her I discovered traces of a human civilization, but couldn't get anyone to give a damn. There was a gravestone for a baby, and even using that as evidence and an emotional pivot, no one wanted to persue that line of study. I was furious. Storming off in a huff, I stumbled across a big book buried in the tall grass. The book was published with one of my paintings on the cover (initials and all). It was a book about Buddhism. I got excited and showed it to my mom. She did not understand. I had to explain everything - yes, this is my painting. Yes, this is a real book. Yes, it is about Buddhism. Isn't that awesome? Aren't you proud? She finally understood, and it's like something clicked for the first time. She hugged me, and I felt suffocated and violated because we never hug. I was not raised by a physically affectionate family. I squirmed and gasped in horror as she tried to embrace me all the way home.