Imagination and Reality

Funny story... I woke up the other night to loud voices outside my window.  It was about 2 am, and it sounded like a bunch of guys who had had a little or a lot too much to drink.  I would have tried to sleep through that, except then I started to hear loud noises, like smashing, hitting metal - think "car".  I instantly thought - they're damaging people's cars on the street! 

a few other things played into this - my car was stolen from that exact same area (same street corner) some months prior, I had seen a big group of people milling around on that corner at 11 pm that night before, and so had parked my car a little ways away to not risk anything...  and I had also just been reading about the trials for the people who vandalized vehicles during the canucks losing game, and had those images of crazed out of their mind kids setting cars on fire, having no fear for the law at all...

so before I was barely even awake, I determined I needed to call the police to report this.  (note: I've never called the police before in my life... and if I was a bit more awake, I may not have that night either).

so I called 9-1-1, and relayed my concerns to the person on the other line.  her first question was - what makes you think they're damaging a car?  my gut response was "b/c my car was stolen from there before!" then I clarified that I did hear loud noises that sounded like slamming damaging noises.  the operator explained there was a party being broken up near by, which explained the big group of people.

the funny part was that my imagination was so vivid with these concerns that I thought I could see someone tinkering with the ignition of a car on the street beside my room.  note: I'm peering out a dark window, thinking I see this through shrubs.  it turns out that I was simply seeing shadows and light reflecting off a black tarp on the other side of the street through the bushes.

even though it was a very real experience, I was also reminded of the power of imagination in playing into what we experience or think we experience!

I think they sent a car down to see what was going on, but by that time the gang had moved down the street and I couldn't hear them any more... not entirely sure what actually happened and if there was actually any vandalism.  it all appeared very normal the next morning when I got up.