Was that for Real?

When I was a little girl, I was the most credible and suggestible child imaginable. Like most kids, I did not have a hard time imagining that there were things that were beyond my imagination or understanding. Honestly, I have not changed much in that respect. Oh, I can quote The Bard about more things, heaven and earth, and all that, just like anybody else. However, I have seen and felt things for which I have no explanation that is rational or scientific. Of course, I guess, what I have experienced could always be lumped into overactive imagination.

The first thing I remember seeing occurred when I was a very little girl. I was in my bed, and the house was quiet, so I have no idea what woke me. It was dark, I could hear the even breathing of everyone in the house that said it was late enough that everyone was in bed, asleep. I looked around the bedroom that I shared with my older sister, and in our doorway, stood a tall man. He was bright, and I could not get more than a general shape. He appeared to be wearing a top-hat and tails. I blinked, but he remained where he was. I covered my head with my blanket and hugged my teddy bear. When I peeked again, he was still there in the same place and the same position, so I covered my head again. The next time I looked, he was gone.

I told my mother about it the next day, and she told me that it was probably just my dad checking on us. I did not mention that he was wearing clothing that my father had never worn in his life. When I told my sister, she told me that she had seen him, herself, another time. Knowing that she believed me, I was satisfied.

I could talk and write for days about all the times I would dream and later have it happen. A small example is at the end of sixth grade. I dreamed about being in junior high, talking with a group of friends, some of whom I did not know. On the first day of seventh grade, I found myself in that same situation. From the conversation we were having to the clothing we were all wearing, it was the exact same. The dream had stood out because it had been so vivid.

Of course, I have had a lot of small snippet dreams like that. I cannot explain them. However, since I do not think that I am a prophet of any kind, I find it harmless and fascinating. Besides, I have found dozens of people who have experienced the same thing.

There are other experiences that I have had that could be classed as "paranormal." Most people would decide that I am simply too imaginative. That is fine with me. Whatever keeps people in their comfort zones. However, when I enter a house and immediately feel safe and comfortable, or vice versa, I have learned to listen to those feelings. I feel that these things are gifts, whether they are extrasensory or just natural instincts that the human race largely does not want or need anymore.

I find nothing to fear in the multiple experiences that I have had that could be classed as paranormal. After all, to me, paranormal just means that it has no rational or scientific explanation. Well, neither do the deities on whom religions are based, yet rational people believe in them. I figure, if I'm in for a penny, I'll be in for a pound.