Tapping the Dream Tree by Charles de Lint - A Once Upon a Time Group Read - Week 2

So, first we took a week off and now I am a day late... Bad blogger! Here are my thoughts, finally, on the questions Carl asked for our Tapping the Dream Tree discussion this week.

1. “Many Worlds are Born Tonight” posits the idea of multiple worlds happening at the same time, each birthed out of the decisions we make, or don’t make. How do you think it would affect you to the option to view all those worlds the way Spyboy seems to do at the end?
I actually really liked this story. We had read it before and I was happy to reread it. It's a fun idea, and one that is explored in many different ways throughout other books, movies, etc. I think the use of a Ferris wheel was a good way to illustrate the idea. It is actually a big philosophical idea and philosophy sort of hurts my head at times, but it is fun to think about nonetheless. In this story it is in answer to some bad steps in the characters life and he finds that he might have to escape his past. I would like to think that it is possible for happier reasons, too, but then if you were happy maybe you wouldn't need to escape in quite that manner. I know that most people rethink situations: "If I did this instead of this, what would have happened?" or inner conversations along the same lines. It is an interesting idea!

2. In “The Buffalo Man” we see how Jilly sees the world vs. how the Buffalo man sees it, at least at the beginning of the story. What do you think of the ideas Charles de Lint examines through these viewpoints? Can you relate to either or both viewpoints?
I think I am sort of in the middle with these characters. I can see both sides of the coin... On the one hand, the Buffalo Man is overwhelmed with the negativity in the world. Then, there is Jilly that never lets much get her down. I can be a bit of both. There are certain things that I cannot entirely get away from, so I do know how the Buffalo Man feels. Being around people that are negative ALL the time is overwhelming and there seems to be a lot of unhappy people in the world. Just logging into places like Facebook and Twitter can be reminders of that. As a result, I have my moments where I know how the Buffalo Man feels. How I try to be, though, is more like Jilly. If it is possible, I avoid those instances and try to focus on the good in the world.

3. In “Second Chances” the narrator states: “There are people that need stories, that can’t exist without them.” What does that statement mean to you?
I think almost everyone can relate to this idea. Even people that do not necessarily read will maybe watch television, listen to music, or go to the movies. There are stories in those mediums, too. I think the majority of the population thrives on stories in their many different forms and need it in their life. That's how I take it, anyway...

Be sure and visit Carl's blog for his answers. Hopefully I will be more organized next week!