the soldier's dream

A story I heard several years ago, told as true.  True or not, it certainly left its mark.  In fact, and unfortunately, it's taken on a little more significance for me in the last couple years.  About relating to other humans, and the beautiful promises they too often make.

A soldier in wartime was knocked unconscious in an explosion.  He was rescued, but remained comatose.  He spent several months in that state, under the care of doctors and nurses who worked patiently to keep him alive and to revive him.  Suddenly one day, he woke up.  As far as everyone could see, his wounds were healed, and even his memory was intact up to the point of the accident.  To all appearances, he was more or less his old self once again.  Except for this: when the doctors and his family and friends asked him, what was it like? being all that time alive but not exactly in this reality? he replied that over and over again, while in that other place of consciousness, he dreamed that he woke up.  Day after day, without change, the same dream of waking.  "Well, that's alright then," they told him, "because you're awake now."  The soldier smiled slowly, a smile that almost looked like delight except it was also something else and answered, "Yeah, right..."