Dream, Dream, Dream
For many, many years now I’ve had a recurring dream. Despite occasional variations in setting and circumstances, the main part of the dream is essentially the same.
I’m back in my old job working as a reporter for a daily newspaper--a job I left better than 35 years ago. Deadline is looming and I haven’t a thing to write about. It’s a very stressful dream and if I wake up in the middle of it, I feel a wave of relief.
What’s a little odd about it is that no boss is breathing down my neck, glaring at me or otherwise concerned that I can’t find a bit of news to report in this one-horse town. In some variations, I go out looking for news and come back days later, still with nothing to report. I get no lecture from a Lou Grant type. Or from my old managing editor who sometimes makes a cameo appearance. I’m not fired nor is my pay docked.
If there’s a meaning behind this dream, I can’t fathom what it might be.
Lately, I’ve had another recurring dream, one that makes more sense to me. I’ve just retired and am figuring out how I’m going to pay for the rest of my life here on this earth. In the latest version of this dream a strange lady hands me an envelope stuffed with bills, implying that a collection was taken up on my behalf.
True, I have been studying various retirement scenarios. And it seems so often the advice about retirement comes down to one word—don’t. I go to the AARP retirement calculator and after I punch in my numbers, it tells me that both Wendy and I should wait until we retire . . . till age 71!
Wow. It makes me wonder if retirement is a Ponzi scheme with some older Americans working longer in life to support those who don’t. I’m going to try that AARP retirement calculator again and punch in that I have a million dollars. I don’t, but I’ll bet it still will advise me to keep on working. Then again, if I punch in that I have a million in the bank it might just say . . .
. . . dream on.
posted by Big Dave T @ 5:48 PM
6 Comments:
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I haven't had recuring dreams for years, perhaps self defense, so I can sleep. But after reading yours, I wonder .... was I in yours? I must have been, because I'm living it!
LYNILU--You know, now that I think about it, you could have been the lady who handed me that packet of money (I didn't mean in my blog that she was "strange" but just that I didn't recognize her right off. But now that I think about it, she did bear some resemblance to you).
Anyway, I did appreciate the cash.
hmm, I left a comment here on Thursday and it said it would show up in a few minutes-it's nowhere to be seen!
anyway, since then, Dr. Oz had a segment on dreams today. very interesting. Falling means you need to relax and let go, you're holding on too tight and stressing out. teeth falling out represented that a for a woman, she wants and needs a child and I don't want to type out loud what it meant in a man. let's say everyone in the audience let out a very nervous laugh.
I'm getting anxious now just wondering what will happen when I fall asleep tonight.
Hi Dave ~ Congrats on the Retirement (I think). Many thanks for your messages during my 47 days in hospital and on Peter's updates. It is great to be home and I hope to get my strength back very soon. I am doing exercises and going to Physio. I appreciate all your comments and concern my friend, so thank you again. I do appreciate all
my faithful friends, of which you are one. Love and best wishes, Merle.
CARINE--I've never had a dream where my teeth are falling out. I guess that's a good thing. I wonder if dreams are different on the west coast. Maybe more boats or mountains.
MERLE--Great to see you back here. I miss your humor when you've been gone a while. No, not retired. Just dreaming about it some day. Keep up those exercises.
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