Pass it on:

DREAM Monday March 2, 2009

This dream seemed to choose me. Tell me what you think and give me your own feedback and interpretation. The green represents my symbols, the purple, the initial evaluations. Enjoy!

I’m in an office setting where I go into a big room and have to find myself a desk. The second time I go into the room someone has taken my desk and I’m looking around for one.

EV: making plans, drawing distinctions. It’s funny to see I had to write “home” as my location. I have been gone for 2 years.I first met with the people from World Gym, knowing I had to create a space for myself, a purpose; and close a sale. I went for a second, and then a third meeting, each time the stakes were raised, the questions more difficult; and the necessity for the position I proposed looking slimmer.

I see a tall oriental girl in white thigh-hi’s, very appealing, who glances over at me and then continues her strut through the room. She is very tall and beautiful and I’m thinking of how I’ll like to work here.

This may be the appeal of an exotic, bold, sexy move, taking my chances by putting it all on the line, showing what I’ve got but feeling out of place, yet confident. I tantalize them with my knowledge, sex appeal, plans and projections, yet it is as equally appealing to me. I’m fantasizing about being in a sexy, provocative place. (I should have known I’d never beat Miami.) 

I want a desk with drawers but all that’s left are drafting tables. I feel it’s ok but I’d rather have one against the wall; but when I see the girl I don’t mind where I’ll be. I hold a stack of books and magazines. Then I see my college buddy, “Motown”.

I see pictures on the walls of other workers and feel it will be a cool place to work. I think it’s a sales job.

I’m left with what’s left. Back to drafting. I must keep designing and clarifying what I’d like to transpire. I have no definitive plan so I must settle. I’m going into it arrogantly, but humility soon kicks in; I’ll take what I can get as long as the view is good. 

The magazines and books are my content, my knowledge, my portfolio, my clout. All of a sudden I’m back in Motown, Detroit, my hometown, as a new graduate in the school of life. The prodigal son has returned and has much to teach, yet much to learn. I’m here with my past, my partners, athletes, posers; but it’s me happy in the fact that I’m going back to something and someone I love and who loves me. 

(from the Dreamer’s Dictionary for the 21^st Century – Kelly Sullivan Walden 2006, Warner Books)

OFFICE: Dreams of an office are usually processing dreams about organizing the data that you have accumulated during your nine-to-five experience.

DESK: A dream in which there is a desk signifies discipline, authority, and your dedication to your career, and/or that you are processing data that took place at work.

ORIENT: Dreams of the Orient signify that you have an emotionally cool exterior, restricted expression, and disciplined behavior.

GIRL: Dreams of a girl represent your connection to the youthful, feminine, innocent, impetuous, playful, and vulnerable aspect of you.

WHITE: Dreams of the color white symbolize innocence, surrender, peace, and protection.

THIGH: Dreams of a thigh signify the strength to stand up for yourself, and that you have the will to support and honor yourself. They signify your power and ability to walk away from what you don’t want and/or to walk toward your heart’s desires.

STOCKINGS: Because stockings are worn on your legs, dreams of wearing stocking signify that you are gathering your strength and support as you prepare to take a stand for yourself and move forward in life. If you dream of fancy or sexy stockings, then you have a desire for attention and validation of your sexiness and feminine appeal.

BEAUTY: Dreams of beauty represent creativity, passion, appreciation, and affinity.

DRAWER: Dreaming of a drawer represents a space within you that is not normally in view, your secret, sacred world, and perhaps a virginal aspect of you. Dreaming of a drawer may be informing you to integrate the contents of the drawer into your outward personality.

BOOKS: Dreams of a book symbolize the letter of the aw, your worldview, inherited wisdom, and/or memories. A book represents a belief system, a point of view that you believe in, rebel against, and/or throw at someone.

MAGAZINES: Dreams of a magazine signify education, voyeurism, sensationalism, and that you may be putting someone on a pedestal.

COLLEGE: Dreams of college represent that you are learning and developing a degree of recognition and authority. You are realizing that in the school of life you are turning your challenges and lessons into blessings.

PICTURES/PHOTOGRAPHS: Dreams of a photograph symbolize a significant memory or person from your past, or your desire to remember an important occurrence or life lesson. (There were many of the employees, and I would like to be one of them.)

WALLS: Dreaming about a wall represents strength, reliability, support, and the people and beliefs that uphold your life.

SALESPERSON: Depending upon the feeling tone of the dream and the circumstances surrounding the salesperson, dreaming bout  a salesperson can be either about your desire for self-promotion and expression, or your desire to be war y of your own opportunistic tendencies.

MOTOWN: (my own interpretation) The Motor City was where I was born and raised and still live. Despite the crumbling of its core, it is still home to me, where I’d learned all my street smarts and the lessons necessary to live. The motor also signifies to me the part of the machine that powers the vehicle. My power comes from this home, the place where I’m loved and taken for what I am. The person, “Mo” was instrumental in my formative years at college, where my first transitions occurred toward manhood. He was a catalyst and an inspiration. 

This was a very critical time in my life. I was abandoning a job that paid well but abused and took advantage of me. It nearly destroyed my character; but was still one of the greatest experiences of my life. I just could not take it any longer and missed my family, especially my sons who were each at their own stages of development; and my wife who had to hold us all together. I had given everything up in order to take this position, leaving nothing to come back to except “the drawing board” of recreating my career from scratch at 52 years old. It did turn out to be a “sales job” for both them and I. 

 

The Dream Cafe

There is a surrealistic painting seen on t-shirts and mugs and posters from the late 80’s which shows a group of famous characters seated at a diner counter enjoying the lazy afternoon of a California day. James Dean, Marilyn Monroe, Elvis Presley,  and a varied mix of other characters populate ths cafe, hanging out as if it wee heaven’s waiting room. Some versions have all rock stars, another, movie stars; but  you realize it’s a place in the artist’s imagaination where most everyone would like to drop in.

This is what a dream is to me, a surrealistic cafe where I never know whom I’ll run into, what I’ll say, or what profound lesson they may offer me. Surrealism itself comes from dreams; the disjointed stories, the many rooms within a scene, the odd characters, the fantastic abilities and the bending of time are all highlights of the art of surrealism which was initially inspired by the unreal quality of dreams.

Not all dreams have these fantastic characters from history or movies, most are populated by the people we live with, work with, know, love, hate, avoid or are drawn to; but when these fantasy figures do prevail in  a dream, a very special attention should be paid to them.

When I was writing screenplays and deeply involved in movies, I used to dream of Robert Redford. I wanted to attend Sundance, learn film, write, direct, etc. from the Sundance Kid himself. In a dream, I was following him on a paper route in my childhood neighborhood and he’d turned to me, after 3 or 4 earlier encounters, and said to me, “just deliver the paper.” He meant, write the script, put it in print, and solicit it to as many customers as you can, again and again and again. I believe this was also telling me to stop my childish approach of staying close to my home, not venturing out,  settling for the small change of everyday news. I never dreamt of him after that. His message was plain and blunt, “deliver the paper.”

I have had encounters with people that were so vivid and real that I almost felt I could call them that morning to discuss the scene we’d just shared. I’ve gotten workout moves from Arnold, music inspiration from Townshend, writing advice from Kerouac, and sexual encounters with Michelle Pfeiffer, Jessica Simpson and other starlets I’ve admired. Throughout the years I’ve had many famous meetings, from President Clinton to Madonna, who flashed me her pink panties as I ushered her out of a limo, telling me  I “was in the pink,” of a particular issue at that time in my life.This is just one of the many reasons I watch my dreams every night – pure entertainment that often leaves a lasting impression, and more often than not, a lesson.

As much as I’ve worked on directing or “incubating” dreams to get specific answers to current issues, I’d never felt I got a direct response by asking specific questions, but rather, got specific answers to issues I hadn’t realized were dominant. I’ve learned that no matter how odd the answer seems, or how obtuse, it really is the answer you’re looking for, you just have to figure out the symbolism and associations as they apply to your own life.