DREAM, DREAM, DREAM, DREAM

A few weeks ago I was talking with a friend of mine - I told him that one of my favorite things to do when I went to bed was plan my dream. I like it when I am settling in and pick the storyline I want to go on. I am sometimes frustrated when I fall asleep without getting to plan. He told me that he remembered doing that as a child (actually I had two friends say the same thing when I was talking to them about dreaming). The woman said that she doesn't do that anymore. The reason my male friend is standing out in my mind right now is that he said, 'I don't dream anymore.'

I don't dream anymore, are you kidding me? Don't we all dream whether we want to or not? I was asking another friend about this and he said that while he is sure he dreams, he never remembers dreaming, let alone what they are about. I am so sad for those who no longer dream. I love dreaming, I love day dreaming, night dreaming, and all types of dreaming. Well, not all types...there are the occasional nightmares which haunt me.

I have this one of a friends murder that for awhile was occurring so often and in such detail, that I occasionally had to call to make sure it was a dream and not a memory. Those chasing dreams are not my favorite either - the ones where someone is after you and you can feel your body physically fighting the dream, but seemingly can't wake from it. Not my favorite, but I feed a little off of those - they help me to remember fear, to understand panic which helps me in my writing.

Last night I had a new nightmare, and I didn't like it. I don't want it ever again. I can't say that I am afraid to go to sleep, but I will definitely be trying to plan my dream tonight. It was a dream about going to jail (no, I have never been). I never learned what the crime I committed was, but I know that I was supposed to be somewhere to clear my name and instead was locked in a type of safe or refrigeration unit (I know different, but I think the dream actually vacillated between the two). Anyway because I missed the appointment, I was being taken to jail right away without trial - I had two detectives who were monitoring and taking me. I was made to say goodbye to my family and was terrified. I can remember contemplated what I would need to do to get into solitary confinement or the infirmary or to get the charges dropped. There was no chasing, but the panic I felt, the fear - too real. To horrible. I don't want the dream again. Will it help my writing, I hope so.

For me the funny thing is trying to figure out what this dream has to do with my real life. I often think that our dreams are linked in one way or another and try to evaluate them. This should be a fun one to try and figure out.

Right now I am helping myself to prepare for a good night's sleep with a glass of lemonade mixed with a shot of my homemade blueberry infused vodka - yummy.