Dream

There has been a veritable barrage of TV programs on dreaming. Tempting topic. Irritating too. It seems no two specialists agree about dreams. One says dreams mean nothing at all. Another says they relate to unfinished business in our lives. Others claim that repetitive nightmares arise from unresolved stress, or sudden acute stress in our lives. Still another expert connects mental illness and dreaming by mapping psychotic brains, and matching them to the brains of individuals in REM sleep. Even Dr. Phil was on the topic today, dealing with three nightmare plagued individuals who suffered from night terrors, sleepwalking and sleepfighting, and, would you believe it, sleepeating.

I enjoy working with dreams. I am the family dream consultant. Got started as a kid. Hooked on all those dream stories in the Bible. Intriqued by how God revealed plans and purposes through dreams. The Bible is a veritable pasture for dream grazing. It's my major inspiration for dream interpretation. I don't use dream books, which clearly conflict with one another. I have my own theories, supported by experience and some specific psychological knowledge, to say nothing of my work in the field of altered states as pioneered by Stanislav Grof. Don't rush to your local Bible bookstore for Professor Grof, gentle readers. Enough said.

I don't know whether it is reassuring or disappointing to discover specialists who make their bread and butter from ideas which I stumbled upon, quite independently, exploring and manipulating my own dream life. We've arrived at similar conclusions from different angles, of course. They were doctors experimenting and I was just me, reflecting on my own dreams.

Which is why, at first, I couldn't relate to the current Globalgirl topic: "Dream". (Click on title above for link.) Dream. As in: imagine, envision, wish, aspire. Another take on the word altogether. I've always dreamed, grandiosely, that I might pioneer something, have an idea first, market it and make enough to endow a few charities and live comfortably for the rest of my life. I dared to dream at a Path Workshop in November, 2004. While some of my dreaming turned into plans which have been acted upon, other dreams lie unfulfilled. To be expected, you say. Yes, well my lofty expectations have frequently gotten in the way of fulfilling my dreams. And additionally, there are times I feel, that at my age, I should stop dreaming and settle.

So it is with some trepidation that I dare to dream here, once more, in the public space of my own blog. Which is written under my REAL name. And believe me, this is one post which I wish could be anonymous. Because if I write a dream, then I am held accountable. To God. To you. And anyone else who reads this. I am accountable for working towards these dreams. Sort of like New Year's Resolutions. Or prayer. Mmmm.

Here is my partial response to Idelette McVicker's "Dream" quiz from the January Globalgirl Ezine.

1. Three places I'd love to go: Bangladesh to visit my friend Elizabeth; St. Petersburg to fulfill the longing inspired by an undergrad Russian history course; and Home (The British Isles) with my husband to explore the lands of our forebears.

2. Three things I'd love to do: a pottery course; dance without shame in public; swim well enough to enjoy swimming as exercise.

3. Three things I'd love to accomplish: finish the endless Quilt Project; really, this is silly...my three things are One. Write a book. Write a book. Write a book. So?

4. Three skills I'd like to acquire: a fearless mind; a more tranquil spirit, and the ability to access most of the capabilities of my computer and cell phone. Could these three be related?

5. Ten things I'd really love to have: (Materially? I've got so much. But I'll make a stab at this.)

• no debt
• access to a car with a spotless interior
• clothes which washed themselves (too fanciful?)
• a big pile of river rock, another of well composted manure and topsoil, and a third of mulch for the garden in the spring
• no visible TV in the living room
• a fuzz free face
• all that new baseboard moulding in the garage, painted, caulked and installed magically by elves or some helpful relative or friend
• a small, soft sided hot tub for my aging bones and Rob's wonky back (now that IS material) Where could I put it?
• clean ducts (furnace not tear) and less dust
• fewer books or more shelves

Now, it is quite obvious that most of these things are easily attainable, given my lifestyle and means. If I washed clothes less often, it would be almost as if they washed themselves. I can plan the debt elimination, order the garden stuff, keep cleaning the car myself. It is mostly do-able. But if any of you have ideas for a fuzz free face that does not include ten years of electrolylsis, I'd be happy to hear from you.

Thank you Idelette for the dream questions.