DREAMING OUR LIVES

What did you dream last night?

Even if you don't remember, for at least part of your sleeping time, you were living a life apart and distinct from your waking life.

You may have been with friends that you know or folks that you know only in your dreams.
You may have been in a familiar setting or exploring  a place to which you had never been.

 In Deeper Writing, I wrote the following in a writing invitation related to dreaming:

We dream at night-- adventures beyond our wildest imagination and hopes, tragedies more sorrowful than the Greeks ever wrote, and sometimes horrors that inspire more terror than the creepiest films created in Hollywood.   At night we lie in our beds waiting to enter a world not accessible through the door of slumber. Some sleep worlds we enter eagerly, welcoming the rush of color and vague people we know only with our eyes closed.  Other dreams we dread, and they may recur night after night. ( Holland, 2012)

I dream every night.  I love to dream. And unlike many folks,  I dream in color--- and I actually remember my dreams.

I have several recurring dreams that always cause bewilderment and frustration -- in these dreams I am always losing something.

In one recurring dreams, I have missed a particular class for the entire semester. Upon discovery of this fact, I am frantically looking for the building where the class meets and can't  find it.   I spend my entire dream searching.

In a similar recurring dream I am on vacation- sometimes with friends or my husband, sometimes alone.
I am searching-- this time for my hotel room.  I always know the number of the room (usually --789 or 817). .

The other item I spend much of my dreaming life searching for is my perpetually lost purse.

I am not sure what meaning these lost things have for my waking life. But they are definitely  part of my dreaming world.

In a recurring pleasant  and welcome  dream, there is a beautiful stone cottage in which I routinely find myself.  It seems to be mine.  I love this home-- but I have never seen it in my waking life. Maybe someday...

In my scariest dreams, I am being chased by an unseen person or some unidentified entity. I am safe only when I reach the porch of my paternal grandmother's house. ( She has been dead since I was 6, but her home still remains my place of refuge.)

As we search for meaning in dreams, we may turn to our friends.  Listen to what I dreamed last night. What do you think it means?

We may also turn to a dream dictionary, matching  the theme of our dream as closely as we can to the universal dream topics and symbols listed.  Two of my favorites are:

       
Click here to analyze your dream online.

For many years, folks, including myself, have used dreams to determine the best numbers to play in the lottery.  My grandparents lived in a state that had a legal lottery long before my own state. Most of  the older folks I knew had dream books.

Dream books were the quintessential reference tool for determining your lucky numbers based on last night's dream.

Unlike most people my dreaming life tends to spill over in my waking life ..often.

Like all of us. I sometimes experience deja vu moments. The difference is that I can usually pinpoint the night I actually dreamed the moment and why I have that  I-have been here/done this/seen this/heard this
feeling.

It alarms those who would prefer that dreams remain restricted to sleeping hours when I can say exactly what words will come out  of someone's mouth next and next and next... for a sustained conversation.

It raises eyebrows when you call me to tell me you had an accident, and I tell you where... because I dreamed it last week.

It puzzles folks when I call  out of the blue to check on them--- I never say I dreamed you were sick-- I just ask how you are doing. 

I am still puzzling over a recent dream in which I was given red rubber gloves-- in the dream I understood they were boxing gloves--although they looked more like cleaning gloves.

What did you dream about last night?

Today's Deeper Writing Possibilities

One of  my favorite poems when I was a child was dream-based:

Wynken, Blynken, and Nod one night 

Sailed off in a wooden shoe,— 

Sailed on a river of crystal light 

Into a sea of dew. 

"Where are you going, and what do you wish?" 

The old moon asked the three. 

"We have come to fish for the herring-fish 

That live in this beautiful sea; 

Nets of silver and gold have we," 

Said Wynken, Blynken, And Nod. -

                     

To  read  Eugene Field's entire poem click here.

What did you dream last night? What have you dreamed the last few nights?

We can mine our dreams for information and insight about our own lives, perspectives on the worlds-- and other worlds.

 Click here to read two poems  I have written about dreams--Dreamscape about dream knowledge and The Key about a specific dream.

What objects in your dream are prominent? 

What do these objects mean to you in your waking life?  

What do they mean in the context of the dream?

What patterns do you notice?

What insight do you gain as you consider the dream?

Write  poem, story or essay based on your dream.

THE MEASURE OF THE MAN: TRIBUTE TO MY FATHER

My father died last night.

He went to sleep--peacefully.

My mother and I were with him

He was the only man who has been present in my life and for me -- all of my life.
He was a faithful and loving husband and wonderful father.
My mother is missing him.
My sisters are missing him.
His grandchildren are missing him
His sons-in-law are missing him.
I am missing him.

My father died last night.

Seven years ago for his 80th birthday surprise party I wrote the following piece as a tribute to him.
As I reread it--through both tears and smiles and rememberings-- these words still define the measure of my father.

The Measure of the Man   

Measurable 

My father can be measured by the words that define him.
As a little girl I remember my father always seemed to have a tape measure handy in his pocket—ready to measure whatever needed measuring.  And it seemed like back then there was a lot to be measured.
                                  

Knowledgeable

I also remember he always had a word in his pocket.
He is knowledgeable about just about everything, could give a word or two or a sentence on any topic--- and he could speak volumes in his areas of expertise….engineering, construction, geology, mechanics, aviation and airplanes, finances, mathematics, cars and science, and the list goes on.
 

Talkative

See Knowledgeable J  

Infallible

This is a word from his measuring stick J In his own estimation, he has never been wrong.
 

Faithful

He is faithful to God, working tirelessly on various church commitments and efforts.  He is faithful to his wife, family and friends, working overtime to provide for his family with all that he thought we should have, and continuing to be there for both family and friends.
 

Handsome 

He was and continues to be one of the best looking men I know with a smile that suggests the mischief he has just spoken or performed, or the devilment he is about to do. (When he first met my mother at The Ohio State University, she asked what he was studying-- he replied Devilment!)
  

Handy 

He can fix, build, erect, construct, invent, or create what ever is needed for whatever purpose …and he can do it quickly.   We had hardwood floors and a finished basement in the house in Shepard. In addition, there was a pool always in our yard, and an ice-skating rink, along with a tether ball court. Of course, the obligatory swing set that everybody else had was also present. He made sidewalks for Grandma Whiting…. And made everything in her house work also.  Our cars were never out of service long. Our skates were sharpened, our bikes always fixed and our toy room had plenty of shelves to hold all the toys, games, and dolls.

Heroic

Daddy is the one who killed the bugs and caught the squirrels, birds, raccoons and other creatures that happened by accident into our home. He was the one who carried the “big stick”  in case of bad guys.  We were always safe when he was around.
 

Fearless

Not only was he not afraid of the bad guys, but several times he demonstrated by both words and actions that he was not afraid of the “uniformed good guys.”  Those guys in blue took second place to getting home to the gash in Rhonda’s head, to get Renee and her broken arm to the hospital in record time, and to helping a petty thief beaten bloody by the security guards at Gold Circle.
 

Willing

At a time when it would have been easier to go to bed after watching the late night news, or before that hour, he waited up in order to pick us up from weekend parties, dances and other events.  Most of my friends were told by their parents, Yes, you may go if you can get a ride.My dad was always the ride!!
 

Connoisseur

Daddy enjoys eating good food and cooking good food.  He loves to eat out…Chinese, pizza, any restaurant instead of home… especially his favorite breakfast spots, McDonald’s and Bob Evans.   He cooked most breakfasts that I ate during my childhood and most weekend dinners.  I never understood why at someone else’s house we would have to wait until a “mom” came home to cook .  It did not work like that in my house.
 

Progressive

In addition to cooking, Daddy, very ably and comfortably, did things that I took for granted but soon discovered were “ women’s” jobs…..He cooked, cleaned, sewed, ironed, combed our hair…whatever needed to be done.  He was the supportive, egalitarian husband…before his time.

Advisor

My father is very wise, worldly and experienced.  He often gives advice on how things should be done....little things and big things.  He enjoys this role.  See Knowledgeable
 

Intelligent

My father is one of the smartest people I know.
For me, the connotation of serious intelligence usually involved numbers and math.  He was a wiz at these…See Knowledgeable
 

Curious

I don’t know anyone else except my dad who relishes a good bloody operation on The Discovery Channel or the Learning Channel.  He also enjoys sharing the details.
 

Humorous

He is a quick wit and bounces with laughter at the funny parts or sometimes when he has said something that tickles himself.
 

Affectionate

He gets a weekly ration of hugs and kisses from the ladies at church.
 

Trustworthy

His word is his word.  If he says he will do something, you can believe him.  He will be there doing whatever he promised, whenever he said he would.
 

Proud

My father is proud of all that he had accomplished during his lifetime…. and rightfully so.

My father is now resting-happy and healed in God's divine light, perfect peace and eternal life.
My father died last night.
I am missing him.

 

Today's Deeper Writing Possibilities

Think about a person--living or dead-- who is important in your life.

How do you measure that person?

What words define him? What characteristics does she exemplify?

Write about this person using words and characteristics from your list as a starting point.

EXPLODING A MOMENT: EXPLORING WITH WRITING

I sat on a bench outside the retreat center.
It was the summer of 2005.
I was early--excited-anticipating-and-ready early.
Today I was beginning what would become my continuing relationship with the Columbus Area Writing Project and the National Writing Project.

I was waiting for the Columbus Area Writing Project 2005 Summer Institute to begin.

While I waited, I was reading ( Isn't this what we all do as we wait--if we are not writing?).

As I looked up from my book for a moment to enjoy my surroundings, the event in the following poem occurred.  A man appeared out of nowhere and offered me water.  I wrote the poem on the inside flap of my book.

The Water Man

Sitting on a bench

under a tree

in front of the retreat center

in the cool breeze

waiting

reading a book

beginning to notice my thirst

A man walking

appeared and asked

Are you ready for a drink

of water?

He had two.

He gave me one.

Later I saw him

laying stones

for a new path.

Sometimes a moment strikes us as noteworthy and write-worthy.  

Sometimes we just have to capture that moment-- to later turn it over in our minds, to insert it into the unfinished story we are writing or to use it to transform the piece of poem that has floated near our ear for days.

We grab a napkin, a scrap of paper, or the inside flap of the book we are reading and jot down notes or a whole poem.

On further reflection of this moment, upon deeper consideration and rereading, the moment can be expanded and details can be added:

What additional details do you now remember?
What sensory details can be added? Where can further description be expanded?
What comparisons occur to you?
Can you add analogies? Are there appropriate metaphors that can be included?

What did it mean?  How did you feel? 

In the summer institute one of the many prompts we were given was to "slow down time by exploding the moment."  My response to this prompt was to revisit and revise The Waterman.  It was interesting to realize that there was much more to remember, to visualize, to consider in this moment.

The result is this second poem.

The Water Man 2
( Exploding the Moment)

Sitting on a bench

under a tree

in front of
the Maria Stein retreat center

in the cool breeze
with the flag flapping

waiting--

reading a book
observing the quiet
and the stillness--
noticing
the bridge
and the pond
 and the island--
watching for the others to come
content

to wait--

beginning to notice my thirst

A man walking

appeared
 and asked

Are you ready for nice cold drink

of water?

He had two.
Frosted, they dripped
with condensation
and satisfaction.

He smiled and
gave me one.

Later I saw him
along with a young man
a teenager
(his son?)

laying stones

for a new path

Even as I reread this now I remember more about that moment-- off to my right close to the road sat the church that held the relics and off to my far left I could see the stone labyrinth.  No one was walking it in prayer during my moment.

I keep thinking.
I keep remembering more.
What moment sticks with you?
What moment could you explore and explode?

In Chapter 5 of After "The End": Teaching and Learning Creative Revision, Barry Lane suggests many way  to slowing down time in our writing, many strategies that can be used as we write drafts and during the revision process. He also provides excellent examples  of pieces in which moments have been explored and exploded.

For step-by-step directions for one way revise expand, explore and explode your moments click here.

For additional sample pieces illustrating this strategy click here.

And finally in the following video,  Barry Lane explodes a moment with us:

What moment sticks in you mind?
Which moment can you explore, expand, and explode?

Today's Deeper Writing Possibilities

Reflect on a recent moment in your life or in a fictional piece you are writing-- a noteworthy, write-worthy moment.

Picture that moment in slow motion.

Begin to record more and more details  of that "slowed-down" time.

What do you see? hear? smell? touch? taste?
Have you been in a moment like this before?
What are you thinking?
How do you feel?
What does it mean?

You may want to write your slowed down impressions as a poem or narrative.