Dream of: 13 July 1998 (3) "Barefoot In Munich"
I had just arrived in Munich, Germany. After renting a car, I had driven a few blocks and parked near the downtown area. Stepping from the car, I was enthralled by the sight of the old city and its magnificent buildings. I began walking through a central plaza crowded with people. Everyone seemed happy and festive, and before long, the people all broke out into song. The idea of strangers singing on the street seemed typically German to me. They all sang in unison and everyone seemed to know perfectly the words to the song. Every single person I saw was singing.
It felt sensational to be in Germany again. I had known for ages I should be living in Germany, but time and again I had postponed moving to Germany. Mainly Carolina had been holding me back. She simply refused to even consider the possibility of moving to Germany. Up until now I had let myself be restrained by her. Now I saw I might have to move to Germany without her. I might simply have to leave her behind. If Germany was where I should be, and if Germany made me feel this good, I might simply have to move here without her.
Some small tables had been set up for a restaurant in the plaza. I sat down at one table and continued viewing the area. The people had stopped singing, but a fellow at a nearby table seemed to want to start up another song. He began singing a song by himself, hoping others would join in. I thought this must be how a song was started — one person would simply begin singing and then the others would follow. When no one joined him, he stopped singing. However, after a few minutes he once again began singing, and this time everyone joined him in a rousing chorus. It looked as if the people had only needed a minute to think about the song before beginning.
I was going to have to find a hotel room soon. I wished I had simply brought a sleeping bag with me. I would have preferred to have stayed outside all night. I recalled a hotel only about a block from here. I had been to Munich only a few weeks before and had stayed in the hotel. I recalled the room would cost 475. I wished I hadn't even rented the car. I had only driven it a few blocks and I could just as easily have walked.
It was already getting late and I decided I needed to get my baggage from the car and head for the hotel. I had been served something while I had been sitting at the table. I paid the waitress and stood to leave. As I walked away, I reflected that I hadn't even left a tip. My bill had been so small, the tip would have only come to about a dime, so it didn't seem to make much difference. Still, I felt a bit guilty about not leaving anything.
Suddenly I stopped in my tracks. Abruptly I realized I was barefoot. While I had been sitting at the table, I had taken off my socks and shoes. As I turned back around, I saw the waitress walking toward me. She immediately told me I had left my shoes behind. I spoke to her in German and told her I already remembered. I then headed back toward the table.
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