9 April 26 Thursday  -levels

i was in a megabuilding of some kind. i was talking 
to a man (or masc-presenting person) around my age 
(early fourties). he said,

"you know what those of you down here on this level
[level 2 or 3?] are doing wrong, right?"

i said, "wasting our whole lives working and paying 
bills and letting our lives flash by us?"

i don't remember what he answered. 

there were many people seated at banquet tables and
at groupings of tall lounge-style stools, chatting
and noshing. they were apparently from a 'higher
level,' 5 or 7? it felt as though they either could
not see those of us from 'lower levels,' or rigidly
refused to acknowledge our presence.
*

ran into an old acquaintance who was not a good egg.
i recognized him before he recognized me, and i was
walking past as he he said "hey wait, you're..."

i flew off into a giant stone carving of an eye like 
the logo of a major u.s. television station. 

i was worried... what happened?

* 

walking with my belated (black African, Muslim] father. 
some other people there too? outside on a sunny day. 
a child, maybe six years old, light-brown-skinned, 
wearing a dress and a pull-over hijab, was lying on 
their stomach on mowed grass that was up above a low 
retaining wall beside the sidewalk. the child was 
kicking their legs leisurely, and propping their 
chin in their hands.

with a thoughtful and wondering tone, they said,

"i don't know if i want to be a boy or a girl." 

we stopped to talk to the child. i had the sense that nobody
was going to push any thoughts on them. i felt a mild
sense of surprise, or maybe just happiness, that my
father was responding with such openness.