Walking a Pig/Dog

Our Dreamer Writes:

Dear SMYD,

Jerry Gomez and I have worked together for over seven years.  He is recipient of many incentives and awardsprovided by our company.  In fact, he has been the top award winner for the past four years running.  Very impressive. 

I was a bit intimidated by him when I was first hired on the job.  But over the years, I’ve gotten to know him better and found him to be pretty “normal.”  I admire his skills in the workplace and even enjoy being around him most of the time. 

Sometimes, I emulate his ways to improve my own performance.  But, I also notice his ego is pretty evident.  For example, he makes a point of bringing up his top awards even in circumstances when it seems irrelevant.  Still, all in all, I like him.  He was very generous and supported me when I needed a good word with my boss.

But even with all this history, I can’t imagine why he and this fantastic pig/dog have appeared in my dream!

I dreamed last night that Jerry Gomez and I were walking his black pit bull (he doesn’t really have a dog).  The dog was huge and built more like a hog, tall at the shoulders with a massive body.  He was off leash. 

Then, at the same time, I was walking toward us with another, similar pit bull/hog only mine was on a leash, had better manners and was better looking, sort of a red color, almost like an Irish setter.  Jerry’s “dog” began to sniff around and sort of challenge my “dog” in a way that wasn’t totally threatening, but still pushy and unpleasant.  At the end of the walk I said to Jerry that he needed to have his “dog” on a leash.  He countered by saying, “A harness!”  I agreed, thinking that even with a harness it would be hard to control that big strong beast.

Signed,

Walking a Hog 

Dear Walking,

You mention that you’ve developed a grudging admiration for Jerry, the co-worker who represents your greatest threat, or the greatest challenge to your being the company star.  In fact, in the form of a star-in-training, you’ve even imitated his methods of operating.

Without getting too deep we can see that in your dream, you meet yourself coming and going.  And no matter which way you look at it, that big beast of an ego is keeping you company.  When you look at your own ego (dog), you like to think of it as better behaved and better looking than Jerry’s, but your dream suggests it’s pretty close to the same!  Unpleasant for those you encounter, even needing to be reined in.  That leash providing a semblance of better control probably should be replaced with a harness.

Perhaps you’ve taken on more of the unsavory qualities of your mentor than you’d like to admit.  Review your own behavior, Dear Dreamer.  Is your “normal” more like a hog than you realize? 

Sweet Dreams to You!

SMYD