Jo-Ben's Near Miss

Last night in my dream I broke into my older brother's house and then out through his upstairs window, pushing one of his guards off the roof and prompting an all-out manhunt as I made my escape. My brother's goons were relentless and I was forced to stop repeatedly, pull a gun on them, and explain that it had all been a joke and that if they hurt me in any way, Jo-Ben would probably fire them, or worse.

Eventually I holed up at the ballet. I've never been to the ballet, and was surprised to find it an intensely moving experience. Like, dream-tears-running-down-my-face type moving. When I woke up I was somewhat shaken.

As I ate my breakfast I started thinking of Jo-Ben's visit last month from out in California, when I had randomly remembered a story of his and forced him to tell it at the dinner table, on camera.

So to recap:

• My random remembering of a story I hadn't heard in probably over fifteen years.
• Forcing Jo-Ben to tell that story at the dinner table (it wasn't hard—he loves storytelling).
• And finally a weird, hot-pursuit dream that ended with me crying over slender, well-muscled people in tights hurling each other into the air.

What does it mean? How does it all connect? Am I finally and completely losing it?

What I do know is that the human brain is an inscrutable lump of gray awesomeness that somehow does its best work when it's organizing life into stories.

Jo-Ben didn't think he told the story all that well but hey, he just sent a bunch of goons after me for a simple, light-hearted breaking-and-entering prank. And so, with no further ado... the story of Jo-Ben's near miss...