My Two Daniels

(Daniel: Green Lantern)
(Daniel: Batman)

The first week of January was terrible. Every one of my plans fell apart, my body ached because of illness and heartbreak, my mind whirled over lost hopes and my spirit longed for quiet solitude. I was lost.

Slowly, ever so slowly, life started to come into focus so I could handle it again without total collapse.

Then finally this week I feel it has turned around and things are starting to look up again. For example, I bought a lottery ticket on Monday and then, that evening as I read my homework from a used book I bought on line, I was showered with four-leaf clovers. They rained down on me and filled me with joy...and hope that it means I'll win the lottery with my one ticket.

Then, to add to my joy I had dreams of both of my two best guy friends in the whole world--they are both called Daniel.

My first Daniel is a Vegetarian, Gemini, Tall, Dark, and Handsome and lives in England. (To avoid confusion for the rest of this story I’ll call him “Batman.” (Not because he’s a crime fighter, but because he has such strong toes he can actually hang upside down from them like a bat.))

My next Daniel is a Vegetarian, Gemini, Tall, Dark, and Handsome and lives here in Moscow—until he moves on to Grad school. (For the rest of this story I’ll call him “Green Lantern” not because he’s environmentally green--which he really is--but because he is actually a superhero.)

In the first dream, the Green Lantern had cloned himself and his clone was a vampire. The vampire version of him was in love with me so his first act was to turn me into a vampire. We then began terrorizing this little town we lived in. We drove a little yellow car that was in serious need of repair, but we were the happiest vampire couple ever to terrorize a tiny town.

In the second dream, Batman decided we needed to go shopping. As a challenge to make it more exciting, he picked out my outfit. Not quite what I would have chosen, but I wore it for the game. However, Batman neglected to allow me any shoes. I pointed this out and he said socks were good enough. Then we went shopping. Batman would only speak in French to old people and in Spanish to young people. But he spoke to me in English.

When I woke up I had received emails from the real versions of both of them. I love these two friends of mine so very much.

The other day I was thinking that--other than my two Daniels--I’m very glad I’m not married to any of the men I’d had crushes on…none of them were really good enough for me. When I look back, I’d still happily choose either Batman or the Green Lantern. Mostly because I know I could live my whole life with either of them and always find them fascinating and never get bored by either. (Choose your best friend and you’ll find the best match!) Further truth is that while both of them love me, neither of them is “in” love with me. In my mind that just means—as impossible as it sounds to me—that there is a guy out there who is better for me than both of them.

I guess I just need to look for a new Vegetarian, Gemini, Tall, Dark, and Handsome Daniel. I wonder what kind of superhero he’ll be?