Three dreams

I have been awakened from peaceful sleep by three terrible nightmares in two nights. Here is a description of these three visions of horror.

1. Returning from a week of vacation (we were on vacation last week - did you notice?), I open my email inbox to dozens of new messages. I scan the subjects of each message briefly, then freeze. Buried in the middle of the list is a notice informing me that I am being sued.

2. Tim mentions to me that there is an internal investigation ongoing in his company. Apparently someone in his project group has purchased shares of the company's stock when the buying window was closed -- i.e. when it was illegal to do so. I think for a minute, then recall that I recently bought $1000 worth of his company's stock for an investment to go into charity. Nervously, I tell Tim about this. A look of fear crosses his face. "Is that ok?" I ask. He hurries to his office to send some emails. Later, he comes out and tells me that he thinks I might be ok, but my name is currently being passed around his company by email, and the messages aren't pleasant. As he is speaking, I finally realize that buying his stock was illegal --- and I am going to jail!

3. I am walking near a school zone. Lots of kids and a few parents are walking up the street, crossing over, heading to school. Suddenly I notice a grizzly bear running up the road. I scream and try to warn people, but the grizzly attacks a child. A police officer is near me, and he pulls out his handgun and runs toward the grizzly. He shoots it point blank in the head, and it stumbles away from the child. However, everyone knows that a little handgun won't kill a grizzly. Angry and wounded, it starts running again -- towards me. Now I start running, trying to reach my house before I am attacked from behind. But there are too many houses in between! I sprint faster, but I know that I will never make it. . . .

And the interpretations thereof

1. I need to work on my people skills before someone sues me. Or maybe: I cannot really abandon my email for an entire week without suffering consequences.

2. My stupidity is going to catch up with me, and I will be punished. Incidentally, I told Tim this dream the following morning, and he got a concerned look in his eyes and said, "My stock market window is closed." Which means he fully believes in my ability to do something this stupid. Thanks, Love, for your confidence.

3. * The bear represents an approaching evil.

Incidentally, I am currently finalizing the details of a conference I have been organizing, trying to ensure everything is prepared by tomorrow when the speakers start arriving.

* My attempts to warn the children, and the bear attacking the child, represent my inability to adequately prepare for this approaching evil.

This is the first time I have organized a conference, and I keep thinking of new details that need to be addressed by tomorrow afternoon.

* The policeman represents the inability of others, in whom I have placed my trust, to conquer the evil.

For this conference, I have delegated several duties to other people.

* The angry injured bear running toward me indicates my imminent destruction.

Did I mention the speakers start arriving tomorrow? While there are other people involved in organizing this conference, I was the one who sent out most of the invitations to speak and participate. If the conference crashes and burns, these eminent researchers will not remember the other organizers. They will only remember me.


Anyway, I have posts to create and important topics to discuss here. However, I will probably not be writing much this week. I'll be at a conference.