Dreams

I had a strange dream this morning. I don’t often remember dreams, perhaps because I’m such a sound sleeper. However, this morning our cat woke me up at 3am. I tossed her out of the bedroom, shut the door and tried to get another hour of sleep. Instead I dozed and dreamed. I dreamed I had lost my wallet and my niece Megan was trying to help me find it. Mixed in somehow was an old x-ray that we had to return to the museum. It was raining and I decided to walk because I didn’t have my license. Trent got in his car to drive us, but I was worried about him leaving the children in the house alone. I kept seeing my empty purse and the space where my wallet should be. I was getting soaked, but didn’t care. Megan kept asking me why I had the x-ray.

Strange. That’s what dreams are- strange. They are usually a mix of fantasy and reality, problems and solutions. Experts tell us that dreams can be interpreted and that they often represent our search for meaning in our real life. Well, good luck with that one.

When I was a child I often dreamed of being lost or forgotten. I suppose that came from two real experiences. I was locked inside a storage shed once while my parents were gone to the store and my friend and I were supposed to be playing in her yard. I don’t remember the details or how the door locked behind us. What I do remember, at least sub-consciously, are enough details about the interior that on two occasions as an adult I have been in places that caused flashbacks and panic. I also have a very strong aversion to entering any building that doesn’t have windows.  Also, when I was about four or five, a group of neighborhood kids left me in a dry canal and told me that the water was going to come any minute and drown me. Then they just climbed out and walked off! The canal had steep cement sides and I couldn’t climb out on my own. I screamed until Mom heard me and rescued me.

As an adult I’ve had those dreams where I’m running or falling. I guess we all have dreams that depict us in danger of some sort. Once I was in the middle of a “running” dream that was so real I woke up shaking. Perhaps in our dreams we practice our “fight or flight” actions in case we need them in real life. Or maybe we relive our childhood fears over and over again, trying to resolve them.

I much prefer daytime dreams. I endured many long hours in the cotton fields by dreaming of what I would do when I was an adult with money and power. Of course I didn’t realize that adults don’t always have money and power! But my fantasies of owning a large horse ranch or a zoo, or living in the jungle or on Mars kept me going when I was tired and bored. Dreams help the creative side of our brain and often lead us to wonderful ideas.

So…nothing significant to say this morning. Nothing enlightening or even entertaining. Just a few random thoughts from a brain that spent the morning wandering in the rain.

I wonder if my cat woke me up because she was having a strange dream??

Comments

[Megan]

Tylerboy saw this painting about an hour ago . . . don't worry that he's up that late, the big project is done and he's in bed.

Anyway, the first thing he said was "woa!" I asked him what he meant by that and he said he like the red and black background of the painting. I asked him what he thought the picture was and he said it looks like a parrot.

He wants to know more about the painting! And so do we.