Recalling a dream

I’m recalling a dream I had recently.

I dreamt I lived in a huge, repurposed warehouse building.  It felt like a commune, very cozy and comfortable.  My living space was upstairs, and the word was going around that a band passing through town… a bigger act, like Robert Plant… would likely stop by and perhaps perform a little.  I joined the gathering downstairs to find that there will be a poetry reading by the famous guest, and everyone was excited about that, including me.  An open box full of specialty beers packaged in what looked like small jelly jars was free to anyone who was interested.

The dream is idyllic, isn’t it?  Everyone having a good time, excited about gathering together and, at the center of it all, a creative artform - poetry.

Why isn’t this our reality?

In 2026, we’ve never had more ways to “connect”.  Digital platforms are being used to reach prospective audiences – I’m doing just that with this blog entry.  But in the corporate-driven media landscape that’s been built with the technology, the idea of people living together, feeling comfortable, and gathering for some free entertainment and refreshments… it’s quite a fever dream.

A condo in a renovated warehouse building?  Whether you’re just outside a big city or in a small-town redevelopment, you’re probably looking at between $1,500 to $4,000 per month, depending on the number of rooms and other fixtures.

A comfortable, carefree feeling?  Unless you’re part of the 1% reading this in May 2026, life is likely about as far from comfortable and cozy as it’s ever been in your lifetime.

Free entertainment and refreshments?  As much as I’m willing to bet Robert Plant loves a good poetry reading, he’s not doing them for free anywhere, and $20 beers at concerts across America throw the concept of free samplers completely out the window.

In societies new and old, the concept of value drives everything.  Currency is more than money; it is knowledge and skill.  We trade our skills for money, we invest our money to acquire more skills.

We’ve priced peace and community out of reach.  We can guess at the dollar value of the scenario in my dream, and we know it’s high.  I think we’ve lost track of the price of not having peace and community.

Robert painting on-location in Nags Head, North Carolina in 2013.