Dream 15 Aug 2011

Well, the good news is I didn't have any more back in the Army dreams; but I did have a few others that are recurring.

The first one was the back in high school dream. I'm in PEI living at my parents. I have been out of the Army for a few years and DVA wants me to do some retraining and get back into the workforce. To satisfy them, I take some adult education classes at my old high school, Bluefield. The classes are a mixture of teenagers and folks my age, in fact I recognize some of the older crowd from 30 years ago in high school. I take history, chemistry, english, math,etc. Since I have already graduated with all these classes, this will be more or less a review for me. Anything to get the DVA off my back.

At first everything goes well and it is all pretty easy. My old best friend from high school, Robert, is in all my classes. He also graduated with all these, but I'm not sure why he is taking them again. We car pool to the high school. Once there, I follow him around to the various classrooms, as I don't have a schedule and the layout of the school is different than what I remember. A constant in these dreams is a female teacher of around my age who is highly suspicious of my being there. She has never married and has no kids. There seems to be some underlaying sexual tension between us. I'm not sure who or what she represents in my dreams; maybe every female I've ever had dealings with?

Then one day, I'm wandering the school on my own. I know I have a class soon, but have no idea where or even when it is. I remember that I may have a schedule in my locker, but of course have no idea where that locker is. In some of these dreams, I actually find the locker, but can't remember the combination of it. I finally see one of my classmates and follow them to the class. As I sit in the class, I realize I am quite lost on the subject matter. The teacher is blabbering on and on, sometimes asking confirmatory questions, but it is like I have never been to any of the classes ever!

It is near mid-term exams, and I fail every one of them. All my teachers take a dim view on this. Most of the teachers don't know my history, the female one seems to know too much of it. I concentrate as hard as I can on doing better, but more and more of my time is spent wandering around wondering where/when the next class is. My friend Robert is no longer going to school, as he has turned into a kind of an idiot, and was starting fist fights over every minor thing.

One time I'm in the female teacher's class, and try as hard as I could, I couldn't concentrate on what she was saying. Time after time I would come back to reality to see she was right in front of my desk asking me a question. Of course, I had no idea. I tried again to pay attention, but noticed that my desk was full of all sorts of pens, pencils and so forth that I was lost again.

Eventually it turned into some sort of challenge for her; trying to teach me stuff that I didn't care about. I would often make up questions and answers just to annoy her. Finally she wants me to stay after class to talk to me. Most of these one on one conversations end up the same way; me saying I will pay more attention and study hard for the final exams. This always seems to make her happy, and then I would leave the school and of course like most dreams try to find my vehicle. I search all the parking lots, and then finally find my truck just before the shop students begin to dismantle it. I take an eventful drive to Gowan Brae. I never go to the school again.

This melded into a dream about my house and property in little old Gowan Brae. In reality I have a house and garage on 13 acres with no close neighbours. In my dreams it appears that I have neighbours and my house is actually attached to another house. There is a large family living in that house. Sometimes I wake up to find several of them sitting around my kitchen table drinking tea and having a good old chat. I try to get upset over this, but they always explain that it was part of the contract I signed when I bought the house; and curiously I accept that at face value. They always clean up after them selves and it seems I have an endless supply of tea and cookies for them. I haven't been around much, what with all the times living with my parents and adventures in Gagetown, Petawawa, Lahr, etc. So I don't really know this family. They seem to be close knit, and enjoy getting together for celebrations. Sometimes when I awake and stumble to the shower nekkid I burst through one of the doors that separates my house from theirs. And of course on the other side is a bunch of folks who are either shocked or just plain erupt in laughter due to my misguided search for the bathroom.

Then this one time I'm driving up my driveway and notice when I get to my house there is a bunch of folks coming out my front door. They are taking out jars and containers of something. I've had this dream before so it is not really news. They seem to prefer to just walk right by me and out the driveway. Again I try to sound upset, and ask them what they are doing. The oldest dude says it is all part of the contract I signed when I bought the house. Again I take this at face value. I ask what they are up to, and get told they have been picking strawberries and using my kitchen to turn them into jam, etc. This gang of folks looks like something out of the deep south: men wearing overalls and females in dresses. It seems a complete family unit, with grandparents, parents, and a bunch of children. I want to tell them it is OK, but if they ever take anything from my house, there will be trouble. Instead I agree to help them pick strawberries the next day.

That night I'm in my bedroom. The floor is very slanted towards the window, which is just a pane of glass half attached to a rotting frame. I check out the other rooms and it is more of the same. I wonder why I bought this place in the first place.

The next morning I'm awoken by the sound of a door closing somewhere in the house. Soon there is a small brown little person walking into my room like she owns the place. She marches into my bedroom and sprays the window sill with something and wipes it off with a rag. Apparently included in this contract was a maid service. She has been in the house about 3.5 minutes, and is demanding a payement. I can't remember what it was but it was outrageously too much for 3.5 minutes of work. After stuffing my cash in her cleavage, she leers at me and informs me that there is another service she is willing to sell. I actully contemplate it, but I remember the Seinfeld episode where he slept with the maid and she ended up doing no cleaning at all, just taking Jerry's money. So being the gentleman that I am, I ask her if she has any bigger and younger sisters. She gives me a glare that could peel the paint off Satan's sedan, and slams every door on her way out.

So I'm left there in bed, getting ready to take a shower and planning my way to my own bathroom, not the neighbour's. After that I'm all set for a day of picking strawberries for strangers, and then letting them turn them into jam, jelly, preserves or what ever in my own kitchen. I think to myself that this is nothing like I signed up for on my return to PEI after an Army career. I've probably led that female teacher into further subsequent man hating years, gotten comfortable with walking nekkid into my neighbours house, pissed off a little person - aka midget/dwarf, and getting ready to work for free for a bunch of hillbillies.. Just then I remember that the old hillbilly mentioned something about strawberry booze. I think that no more driving around with my head stuck out an armoured vehicle during monsoon season or freezing rain, no more rations, hot water every day, no performance evaluation reports to do, and no dressing up to eat an expensive shite meal with a bunch of friends, but even more arse dips. I then remember that I have a dog and a couple of cool cats; and I think to myself,,, what a wonderful day!!

I'm sure hoping that little hobbit comes around tomorrow morning ,,!!