The Red Book Story

The other evening in our little snack-eating circle after the parent-teacher's meeting, Judith told us about a dream my father had.  He told it at the monthly gathering of his siblings and one of them told Judith.  I had never heard it.  You probably ought to know my dad to get the full benefit of this story.  He loves to make connections between people--genealogical and otherwise.  One of his favorite books is "The Red Book," a directory of people in Beachy Amish Mennonite churches.  The Red Book is the informal title it's widely known by, and it serves up information on everyone who is or ever was Beachy--and their families, provided they are connected by one degree to a current member.

The dream must have occurred in a late80s-early 90s setting, when the elder George Bush was president.  My dad had gone to see him.  When it came his turn to greet the president, he told him his name.  Bush promptly picked up his own copy of The Red Book and looked up Dad's name.  

I love how this story mingles the familiar and the absurd--David L. on a political quest and George Bush on an "Amish Freundschaft" quest, and a single event where the two intersect.  That's what usually happens in the dreams that are the most fun to tell afterward.