Glory Days on the Gridiron

Our Dreamer Writes:

Dear SMYD,

I played football all through high school, and went to college on a “full ride” scholarship, playing another four years.  As you can imagine, it was a major component of my life!  I was good enough in my position that some professional teams were starting to show interest in me when, like so many others, I sustained a severe knee injury, putting a quick and premature end to my prospects and hopes of going on to the next level.

My recovery was difficult physically and emotionally, but I went on to redirect my energy and have enjoyed success in my life away from football.  Now I’m just a few years from retiring!  But over the years, I’ve had this recurring dream:

I am called up to play again.  Somehow, I’m eligible!  I am very excited about the opportunity, and start getting ready to report for the opening-of-season training.  The first day, all players are supposed to report at 6am, but I oversleep.  This is unforgiveable, and I know I’m in for a brutal time with the coach.  But I get up and go to face my punishment.  Even though it will be tough, I am excited that I can play again.

In the most recent version of this dream, it’s all the same, except I realize I don’t have to get up and “face the music.”  I felt sad that I wouldn’t be playing, but I remember feeling relieved when I woke up.

I’m curious about this long-standing dream and its newest version.

Signed,

Gridiron Guy

Dear GG,

It’ll be hard to say in retrospect what this dream has meant to you, since we don’t have records to correlate to the events in your waking life each time the dream presented itself over the years.  But chances are good that the game and teamwork you’re gearing up for in your dream reflect the parallel “game” of the business world and the cooperative efforts you’ve likely engaged in time after time as you’ve progressed. 

We can speculate that your dream occurred at points along your path when you were given another opportunity to participate and advance in your career.  As your dream suggests, you got up and girded yourself for the game and faced the challenges even though you knew it might be tough going. 

Now, as you near retirement, your recurring dream offers relief, even if it is laced with a touch of sadness:  You don’t have to go out and take a beating on the front line of the work world.  Your sadness is a natural reaction to letting go of another big part of your life, as you did with football all those years ago.  Your relief is natural too!  The next phase is likely to be satisfying and rewarding for someone like you who faces challenges and changes with energy and grace.

Best Wishes, and Sweet Dreams to You, Dear Dreamer!

SMYD

sendmeyourdreams@mail.com       

Sleeping on the Chairlift!

Our Dreamer Writes:

Dear SMYD,

My husband said I should pass along a dream that I have had at least 5-6 times.  It relates to downhill skiing, a sport I learned last year to prove to myself I could.  I love it! 

I had a very busy day before the dream, preparing for a meeting with a club in which I participate.  I attended the club meeting and had people over for a potluck dinner too!  Went to bed about 10pm and had this vivid dream.  It was in color and everything!  But it is confusing to me. 

I dreamed that instead of taking regular Tylenol before I head to the slopes that I take Tylenol PM by accident.  When I get on the ski lift I fall asleep.  I remember getting on the ski lift, but then I doze off and the ski lift operators could not wake me up.  I went up and down 6 times before they physically removed me from the lift, which is when I woke up.  What does this mean???

Signed,

Sleeping on the Chair Lift

Dear Sleeping,

You may have read a column or two in which I’ve admonished dreamers not to ignore the literal implications of a dream.  In your case, it can’t hurt just to double check your bottles of Tylenol and Tylenol PM.  Be sure they’re labeled correctly and that there’s no chance you’ll accidentally confuse them!  Sometimes our dreams are just looking out for our well-being.

In a similar vein, your dream could be suggesting that since you’ve learned to downhill ski, you may have become lax in your attention to safety procedures when you’re skiing.  Maybe you’ve become too relaxed while skiing, going through the motions, doing it with your eyes closed. 

Of course, there is a possible metaphorical meaning associated with these images.  You mention your preparation for your club meeting, and all the activities you engaged in on such a busy day.  Your dream may be suggesting that what was once fun and challenging has become repetitive and even rote to you.  Maybe you’re just going through the motions as you do on the ski lift in your dream, going up and down, back and forth, without the thrill that you first associated with it.

You say this dream has recurred 5 or 6 times.  One of the best ways to get insight into any recurring dream is to make a note of it when you have it.  It sounds very familiar to you, so you won't need to write it out in detail unless you want to.  Just make a note like, "dreamed of sleeping on the chairlift again."

Then ~ and this is key ~ make another note of what's going on in your waking life in the days around the dream.  Chances are excellent that the dream recurs when certain circumstances or trains of thought are prevailing in your waking life.  Does it always come on club days?  You'll only need to make notes like this two or three times before the connection presents itself to you!

Sweet Dreams to You, Dear Dreamer!

SMYD

sendmeyourdreams@mail.com

Dreams Reveal Your Inner Strength

Greetings SMYD,

I read your column in my local newspaper, and here is a nice recurring dream that I have had every few months for over 20 years.

I am in a cavern with an underground lake that covers the entire bottom of the cavern.  I am on a ledge hewn into the rock walls about 30 feet above the calm clear water.  The ledge circles the lake.  The cavern is lit as if it were daytime but I don't know how.  At one end of the lake there is a waterfall pouring warm water into the lake.  It sounds like a bathtub being filled, and the air in the cavern is pleasantly steamy from the warm water.

An 1870's Mississippi paddle-wheel steamboat comes into view with all the passengers alongside the boat's railings looking at the cave and the waterfall.  I wave to the boat and the passengers wave back.  The Captain blows the boat's whistle to acknowledge me.  Sometimes he maneuvers the boat up to the rock wall and a deckhand places a plank from the bow to the ledge and I board the boat.  Sometimes they just sail by heading for a closer look at the waterfall.

Then the dream ends.  Any insights would be welcome!

By the way, I work in a high-stress job in the maritime industry.

Signed,

Sailing Along

Dear Sailing,

I agree ~ your recurring dream is lovely!  So many beautiful images!

The best way to get a "bead" on your recurring dream will be to make a note of it when you have it.  I'm sure it's very familiar, so you won't need to write it out in detail unless you want to.  Just make a note like, "had the cavern/steamboat dream."

Then ~ and this is key ~ make another note of what's going on in your waking life in the days around the dream.  Chances are excellent that the dream recurs when certain circumstances or trains of thought are prevailing in your waking life.  You'll only need to make notes like this two or three times before the connection presents itself to you!

Now, having said that, I can offer some more general/universal observations about your dream images:

The underground cavern and lake suggest a reservoir within you, a serene pool of inner strength that sustains you.  The entire setting is suggestive of your being in tune with the beauty and power of nature and your inner self. 

I don't know if you have a particular connection or affinity with the 1870's era, or steamboats in particular, but given your stress-filled work in the maritime industry, old-time paddle wheelers could definitely represent your desire for serenity!  The reference might be a link to a long-standing personal calm and self-assurance, one that harkens back to another peaceful time without the hurry and hubbub of 2012. 

Your spiritual self is well established and feeds you gently.  It is a source of wonder and appreciation for those around you.

Thanks for sharing your beautiful dream!

More Sweet Dreams to You, Dear Dreamer!

SMYD

sendmeyourdreams@mail.com