Running the old technology store isn’t easy, and the in-fighting among the Muslim staff only makes things worse. I’m constantly being called on to referee arguments between them, particularly two older gentlemen who just can’t seem to get along. Meanwhile, the store is full of customers and homeless people keep sneaking in to recharge their phones.
(Even within the dream, I am surprised by a rack displaying new movies only available on old, outsized and defunct media types.)
I’m doing my best to be patient and kind to everyone—and being fairly successful at it, fortunately—but it’s all deeply stressful and frustrating, particularly with the holidays approaching.
While I’m in the process of rousting the energy squatters from the front of the store yet again, a young woman on staff (I briefly, almost subconsciously, note and then dismiss as inappropriate for me to even be aware of her beauty) comes to me concerned about yet another dispute between our two elder troublemakers.
I find one of them in the back warehouse area. He is the milder of the two, someone I actually like personally. And I usually find that he is often the one being picked on by the other, more aggressive man. I assure him that I will do my best to sort through this current issue and resolve things.
...
The dream folds and reshapes itself.
Now I am in a car with a large blue muppet famous for his love of baked goods. As he drives, he bobs his head, googly eyes rolling this way and that, and shouts out a song...
“ME LOVE THEM SO MUCH
ME LOVE ME SO MUCH
ME ATE THEM ALL SO MUCH
ONE TWO THREE FOUR
MUNCH MUNCH
FIVE SIX SEVEN
ATE!”