I dreamt I was a guest at the home of a powerful family, perhaps I was only the guest of a lesser member of the family.

There were the central tables in the dining room, where voices could be shared, and with just a little more volume, could be heard quite clearly.

Then there were tables on the edge of center, slightly around a pillar or two, in the same room, but not in the same location. That is where the person who invited me sat with his small family. I sat on a chair at the edge of his table. A position that was edge of the edge, with no formal place setting.

Someone from the center tables made notice of my presence, and made a remark. I’m not sure who it was addressed to, he didn’t look at me while he spoke, but I heard my name, and saw a vague gesture.

There seemed to be a “slight” attached to the remark, something along the lines of, “At least he doesn’t have to decide which fork to use.”

This pointed out that the lesser family could invite guests, but that they wouldn’t necessarily be served, or be allowed to eat. At he same time it made the suggestion that the quality of the guest of the lesser family was not up to the social standards of the table.

Then I realized in the dream, that it wasn’t about me. I was being used to abuse the lesser family in an accepted indirect manner.

At the end of his remark, several heads turned to me to see if I had anything to say. I thanked my host for inviting me, I mentioned that I have access to great food in other places, but for now, it is his company that I desire, and that doesn’t require a fork.

Why the dream? Because we often lead lives of “coulda, woulda, shoulda.” But not in a dream.