Jim Collins was right.

If only I remembered that about 4 a.m. Thursday, when I awoke from a dream and said to myself, “that would make a great column.”

When I first started writing this column about five years ago, Collins gave me some great advice.
“When you get an idea, be sure to write it down.”

He said that if I was ever stumped for something to write about, I could turn to the list of ideas and pick one. Or, if I came up with one in the middle of the night, I’d be able to remember it.

As I said — right again, Jim.

Since then, I’ve been wracking my brain trying to remember what I could have dreamed about that was so interesting.

I tend to have dreams that draw elements from a variety of areas of my life together.

Earlier in the week, I dreamed I was on death row and set for execution the next day. I have no idea what put me there, but the guards were very sad that I was going to be dying the next day. I must have been a fun inmate.

I unfortunately woke up before I had the chance to pick my final meal.

That dream might have been sparked by a recent poll we listed on our editorial page, asking how readers wanted the state to change its execution protocol later this summer. The state is forced to do so because the drug it’s been using for lethal injections is no longer available.

Pentobarbital has been the drug of choice since the state abandoned its three-drug cocktail because it was deemed cruel.

I think Thursday’s dream was about a much lighter topic, though.

I know it wasn’t the royal baby.

While I’ve been as fascinated as anyone about the birth of Prince William’s first child, I don’t understand the brouhaha that seems to have accompanied the arrival of the first official photos of the little bundle of joy.

Apprently, some in British circles are outraged that the first photos came from the parents of the Duchess of Cornwall and not from a professional photographer. They complained that the pictures didn’t give a clear view of the baby’s face and that they weren’t lit properly.

What’s the big deal? You folks are going to be following this poor kid around for 70, 80, maybe 90 years. You’ll get your shot of his face. Let the kid grow into his newborn diapers before you start running his life with ridiculous expectations.

I don’t think my dream was about back-to-school, either.

While I’ve been remarking as much as anyone about how fast this summer has gone by, I don’t mind the move of area kids back to class very much. It means I can go back to the mall and shop again. It means sales on clothing at said mall. And, it means Friday night football is that much closer!

The only downer for back to school this year is that the first days of school coincided with the release of the state’s report cards for last year.

Talk about pressure for the new year.

I doubt I dreamed about the upheaval over the change of dates for area festivals this summer.

I had the pleasure last weekend of attending Concord Township’s new Uncorked event, which sort of served as a kickoff to its popular Community Days event that for years had been on Labor Day Weekend.

I heard some grousing over the move, which officials said was due to competition from the Great Geauga County Fair and other huge events taking place that weekend every year.

The pressure eased when the Cleveland National Air Show was canceled as a result of the sequester cuts, but Geauga’s fair is an unstoppable force as it approaches its 191st year of continuous operation.

Concord Township found success with its new dates. The weather was beautiful, and it attracted great food and entertainment to its Town Hall setup.

Mentor didn’t have as much luck with its Beach Fest on July 27 at Headlands Beach State Park. Heavy rain early in the day kept quite a few people away, but later on attendance picked up.

This weekend marks CityFest and a classic car cruise-in at Civic Center Park, which are a celebration of the city’s 50th birthday.

These festivals combined to replace the city’s It’s Better in Mentor Days that took place in September.

We’ll have to wait a while for a true report card on the changes. (How’s that for keeping a theme?)
But, it seems that officials might be on to something.

The new elements — the beer-and-wine tasting in Concord Township and the beach theme in Mentor — draw a different clientele than the older festivals did, and seemed to create a lot of excitement.

Here’s hoping they catch on and the crowds keep coming.

After all this, I still don’t know what I dreamed about. If I figure it out, I’ll let you know.

I’m pretty sure it was a good idea.

LKessel@News-Herald.com
Twitter: @Lauranh