On a four-day trip to Ethiopia, I had a
dream. In my dream, I saw two men, one older and one younger, facing one another
against a background of temples and pyramids. The father was speaking as he
performed the oil ceremony for his son. I became excited in the possibility of
performing a visiting ceremony (31) my son in Africa. For
the next six days I privately wondered what (32) to use in
such a ceremony. Gradually the words (33) me. By the time we
arrived in Cairo, I was ready. I told my son that there was a ceremony I wanted
to (34) him in the tombs in Egypt. His eyes shone with
(35) But I wondered if he would still be receptive after my
next statement. In the dream I remembered that the son was oiled, as it
(36) , with a dry substance. I took this to mean that powder
(37) oil was used. But what powder I ruled out ground grass
and flowers, and finally settled on sand. Sand represents the Sahara, and sand
also (38) the remains of the ancient people of Egypt. That
made philosophical (39) to me, but in the real world, young
adults or almost anybody for that matter, (40) disinclined
to have sand poured on their hair.