What's My Line??

All my life I have had vivid dreams and I almost always remember them. Sometimes they make sense, but sometimes they are apparently just my brain taking a little "siesta" from the day to day struggles and triumphs. Last night I had a dream that I believe was helping me deal with some of the anxieties of recent events in Washington. Everyone's anxiety at this time is compounded by the situation of dealing with the corona virus, racial tensions and everything else that put 2020 on the history books.

My dream, on the surface, doesn't seem to have anything to do with the storming of our US Capitol and what will become of Donald Trump....but if you dig a little deeper I think it was more profound then meets the eye. It certainly helped ease my anxiety....a bit. So in the dream I was an actress in a Shakespearean play and I was suffering from the worst stage fright: I kept forgetting my lines and when I was supposed to say them.  In between acts, the man who was playing the "King" (not sure what play it was...just felt like Shakespeare) pulled me aside and said "Look, don't worry so much...I am really drunk and forgetting my lines too! Smell my breath...You and I both know the story and we know how it ends. We can just Wing It. Just say what you feel like saying and the story will get told."

Interesting premise, but in the dream it gave me a surprising sense of calm. It felt good knowing that by "winging it" we could get the job done in the best manner we could and the play would still be completed. And also completed with alot less anxiety. Yet, in real life we don't know how the story will end. Many people have forgotten their "lines" or they are saying what is perceived as the wrong ones. As a nation, we just hope that the correct decisions will be made to move forward.  Many current events will have a profound effect (for the better we hope) on how our government operates.

 Yes, the times are troubling and we have to work together to make things better. However,  I strongly believe that individuals need to take care of themselves...and their mental health...FIRST, if they are to be successful, fully functioning members of society. I am not advocating apathy, but I do believe sometimes we need to take a step back and let the dust settle before we get too emotionally involved.  I think that was what my dream was trying to help me with: coping mechanisms.  It has been said before: 10 years from now....what will really stand out as important?

I'm not a therapist, but I do know a thing or two about dealing with anxiety.  Listen to your dreams, they may be trying to tell you something.               Julie E. Smith