I woke with a start, sweat pouring from my body.  I felt apprehensive.  Nervous.  I told myself it had just been a nightmare, but it had seemed so real.  Multi-colored fingers grabbing for me through an ooze of bright hues.  Maybe it was too much sun.  Or the tequila.  Probably both.
I dragged myself out of bed, opened the curtains and padded over to my closet.  Sliding open the door, the light reflected off my newest tropical shirt and I realized that (to paraphrase a movie line), “this was my dream.  This was my nightmare.”
Feeling particularly brave, I slipped into the shirt, one of coolest tropicals I own. I was now ready to face another day, certain I could keep my Inner Mad Gringo at bay.  For the moment.