Dogs Become Street Stoics

I had a bizarre dream last night in which the phrase "Dogs become street stoics" appeared. Seems prophetic, no?
Okay, so I really have no idea what that phrase means. I doubt it means much at all, just random brain twitching during sleep.
Another part of my dream did have some events worth considering.

Often the issues I am wrestling with, or have wrestled with appear in my dreams. I have dreams about high school insecurity, job fears, friendship and family issues. I still dream about massive fights with my mother even though we haven't really fought for several years. One common dream I was having was the "heaven/salvation" dream in which the end times were upon me and I managed to get saved. I was never "lost" in any of my end time dreams.

It should be noted that I have a great deal of will power when it comes to dreaming. I rarely have nightmares, and when something bad does happen in my dreams I can usually work my way out of it. Often in the dream I realize I am dreaming, tell myself the bad stuff is just a dream and move on to dancing in tree tops or shopping for rabbits at Old Navy. So while I was comforted by my "salvation" dreams, (Maybe it's a sign from God that I will be ready when the time comes. ) I also realized that I was controlling the outcome of the dream, and who wants to be lost?

Well the dream last night involved my friends coming over, friends I hadn't seen for awhile, and me having a conversation about Buddhism with them. Also I was explaining, quite emphatically, why I don't drink or use drugs. (This was because one friend brought over something resembling a bong. It was actually used to change the colors in a certain type of hair barrette (Who can explain dreams?) but my friend confessed she did occasionally use drugs, and this sparked the conversation about drug use and Buddhism.

My discussion of Buddhism was pretty incoherent, (I remember thinking so in the dream), but one part from the anti drug conversation does stand out. I remember telling my friends that I had never done drugs or drank alcohol (which is true) and that I hadn't missed anything. I enjoyed my life, and they should ask themselves why they couldn't enjoy their lives without drugs and alcohol.

The deeper meaning to this dream? That I have been wanted to discuss Buddhism and alcohol use with my friends. (To my knowledge none of my friends are drug users currently. I think I dreamt about the bong because of seeing a store Little Five Points (Atlanta's Haight-Ashbury) that sold them)

I want to discuss Buddhism with my friends, not because I plan to CONVERT anyone, (That wouldn't be very Buddhist) but because I am hoping to hear some challenges to my current thinking.

I want to discuss alcohol use because it is becoming a greater part of my social life. A lot of my Adventist friends have taken up social drinking, and a lot of the people from various Christian backgrounds in Emergent Cohort drink socially as well. Even some of the Buddhists at the Shambhala center drink socially. Apparently the Shamhalans are not so concerned with following the 5th precept to refrain from intoxicants. Until I moved to Atlanta I had only been offered alcohol maybe two or three times. Now it is frequently available.

I admit I am tempted. My friends are all nice people, none of them alcoholics, all of them spiritual to some degree. They seem to be enjoying themselves in drinking, and I wonder if I am missing something.

I am going to be writing at least one more post on this subject, and I would love some feedback.

Until then beware of any stoic street dogs you might encounter. They might be harbringers of doom.