Our Dreamer Writes:
Dear SMYD,
Here’s a weird one for you: I dreamed that Eleanor Roosevelt was in the
precarious and even comical position of trying to climb onto the top shelf of
an étagère. The shelves displayed
ceramic figurines of Victorian men and women.
Each time Ms. Roosevelt would get to a top shelf and start to station
herself there, the cabinet would wobble and tip. She’d say, “oops!” and start her climb
again. When some of the figurines did
fall and break, I began trying to glue them back together, matching heads and
bodies as best I could.
Now, I’ve admired Eleanor Roosevelt for many
years. Her dignity in the face of
difficult circumstances always impressed me.
She dealt with the public humiliation of her husband’s affairs with more
grace than I could ever muster. She kept
her own private life quiet too. But why
in the world would I be dreaming of her?
And what about her ridiculous position in the dream?
Signed,
Friend of Eleanor
Dear Friend,
We almost always find that our dreams are
talking to us about ourselves. Yours is
no exception. For a first tip to this likelihood,
consider how your narrative of your dream shifts from talking about Ms.
Roosevelt, to how you are
dealing with the scenario and the “fallout” of her actions.
While you don’t offer details of what’s going
on in your waking life, your dream presents some possibilities about your state
of mind. It seems to suggest that you find
yourself in precarious circumstances that you consider laughable (“comical”) on
some level and even deserving ridicule, just as Ms. Roosevelt does in your
dream. As she is repeatedly trying to
station herself among the Victorian figures, perhaps you also are attempting to
fit yourself in among Victorian values, or a stiff and formal setting. She kept up appearances for society’s
sake. Do you find that you also are
presenting a front to the world that is out of sync with your private life or
thoughts?
Each time she almost gets herself situated the
show (the display case) tips and teeters, and sometimes, the Victorian image
falls apart. It’s you who tries to
recreate the image by piecing together mismatched heads and bodies.
That mismatch could also speak to a break
between what a person thinks intellectually as opposed to what she knows intuitively. Discounting gut feelings is a tricky business
Dear Dreamer, and seldom offers peace of mind or security of station.
Does this dream mean your husband is having
affairs, or that you’re secretly gay?
Probably not. It’s just as likely
that the dream illustrates a waking life drama with parallel story lines playing
itself out in your daily situation.
To get to a dream’s underlying theme, it can
be helpful to restate it in general terms:
Someone is trying to get comfortable in a public display of outdated
values. When the façade is broken,
someone tries to piece it back together.
Ring a bell?
Sweet Dreams to You, Dear Dreamer!
SMYD
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