I dreamed I was Nell deGrasse Tyson, a black, female astrophysicist with enough gravitas to fill a galaxy. I had been asked to consult with a science magnet boarding school to help modernize their culture and curriculum.
I was on a break, and watching the rehearsals for the graduation ceremonies. They had a singing and dancing troupe that was going to do a performance themed with all the things the graduates had to look forward to. One of these things was falling in love.
I went to talk to the song and dance teacher, because all of the couples in this montage were male-female, and I asked if it was too late for them to have one male-male and one female-female couple, to give at least a little representation to the students that might not be heterosexual.
The troupe leader was a sandy-haired, pock-marked man with reddish-gold eyes, and he very politely told me that my idea was completely counter to the Christian values of the school. I pointed out that the school was a completely secular institution, and that given the size of his troupe, at least one or two of those talented young people would probably really appreciate this innovation.
He challenged me to spend more time with his group and see that I was completely wrong. While I was observing, the students who weren't graduating began planning for the summer trip the group would take the next month. Their leader went over all the sorts of snacks they should pack, then dismissed the younger students, but held the rising seniors back.
That was when this guy reminded the oldest kids of the troupe tradition where, on the first day of the trip, they could raid the snack stashes of the youngest kids and have whatever they wanted. I stood up and said I was just about done involving myself in their troupe business, because that wasn't what I was at their school for, but I challenged the oldest kids to really ponder how fair this was, and if it was a thing they really wanted to do to their younger peers. They all agreed it was bullshit, and they were going to break that tradition this year.
All I remember about the graduation ceremony was a bunch of kids coming up to me and thanking me for everything I'd done for them that year. Then I woke up.
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