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Expectations~


I had a dream. Very weird.

I was wandering in a field when I realized that birds, small ones, were somehow snapping off the flower heads of Queen Ann's Lace and flying off with them. It took great effort to lift off with the flowers in their beaks. The higher they flew, the bigger the flowers became, dwarfing the birds that struggled on against the laws of aerodynamics. There was something eerie about this, and I knew it needed to be recorded, captured for others to see.

I didn't have my camera. And I was trying to decide if I had time to get it before the birds were gone. But in the optimistic way of dreams, I realized that I did have my old Sony point and shoot in my truck.

By the time I pulled the camera out of its case and turned it on, there were only two birds in sight, very high and rapidly growing too far to see. The flowers they had in their beaks had grown to the size of Frisbees.

I could hear the birds gasping, a chirping moan, and I knew they were struggling but determined. It was both inspiring and chillingly strange that they would do such a thing. I had no idea why they would.

I aimed the camera, but they were flying quickly and I had trouble finding them through the camera's eye. When I did sight them in the viewfinder, they were out of focus, but I snapped anyway, again and again just hoping to get a lucky shot.

Then I woke.

I believe in luck. Not so much the childish rabbit's foot luck, but the kind of good fortune that is visited upon those who expect it. I don't know what the birds' struggle symbolizes, but I know I got the photo of a lifetime-- in my dream.
According to Dream Moods,
"to dream of a chirping and/or flying birds, represents joy, harmony, ecstasy, balance, and love. It denotes a sunny outlook in life. You will experience spiritual freedom and psychological liberation. It is almost as if a weight has been lifted off your shoulders." So how come my birds were biting off more than they could handle and gasping? Hmmmmm . . . I think I can guess.
~~~~~
Edgar Cayce wisely insisted that one should "interpret the dreamer" and not just the dream alone. Trying to understand a single isolated dream without any life context or a look at other dreams can be like trying to understand a weekly show from a single episode — not pointless, but quite often incomplete.

Comments

Voyager said…
What a strange but lovely dream. I never try to interpret my dreams, but I have faith that, through them, my unconscious is working out emotional issues, good and bad.
V.
Jo said…
My gosh, what an interesting dream. Could it have symbolized the end of summer, and the birds were taking the flowers away? But why did the flowers get larger? Very interesting.

You have some gorgeous photos on your blog.
raine said…
Hmmm...it's going to be quite the year for you, dream wise, I think. You are definately going to need to introduce yourself to the Crantini.
Janice Thomson said…
Gosh very interesting dream but you left us in suspense you devil you. So why?
Ruth--I loved this entry, and further more I love the website. Here in Costa Rica (in my little corner of the world) people are serious about their dreams. My neighbor, Miss Olga, who I have written about, has a book of dream numbers.

She records her dreams and the numbers attached to certain animals and things that appear in them. The books are ragged and about as old as she is.

And what does she do with those numbers? Why, play the lottery, naturally.

When we first got our dog Olga was ecstatic.

"Oh, the dog play eleven," she said, running for the phone to call he chance man.

I almost named our dog Once (pronounced On-say) which is Spanish for eleven. But her name is Kashá instead.

So thank you for the dream and the website.
Unknown said…
Wow, that's some dream. That's great that you were able to remember it so you could try and interpret it. Sounds like you figured it out. :)

I hope you had a lovely weekend, Ruth! (((HUGS)))
Rick Bylina said…
Why can't I have nice dreams like that? I usually dream of snakes strangling me or waking up the last day of the semester knowing that I have a final in a class I've forgotten about, and as I run around campus, I don't remember where the class is being held and suddenly realize I'm butt naked and then I wonder if there is a naked without a butt?

I dream night, not nicely, and remember most of them if I retell them within five minutes of waking up. And this is not a dream or the matrix.

-rick

Verification word: kytxomj. A planet in Orion's belt where dreams do come true.
Ruth L.~ said…
V~ I usually think about my dreams, but I typically don't do online research about them. Who has time? I have an introspective streak, though.

Josie~ I see birds (me) biting off more than they could chew. I see the flower getting big like a Frisbee (which looks like a plate) meaning that my plate is too full-- a term I'd been using to anyone who'd listen, or I even thought might listen.

Rain~ I actually like dreams. I hope they don't stop when i retire.

Janice~ Read what i said to Josie for my amature interpretation.:>)
Ruth L.~ said…
Sarah~ Ask your bookie lady what numbers i should play based on my dream. :>) That's a great story. One for your blog or even more.

Lisa~ I went to Plymouth to take pix. You?

Rick, Rick, Rick~ LOL. Supposedly there is a brain chemical that begins to dissipate upon wakening taking our dream with it unless we repeat it or think about it, or in my case, write it down.

BTW, missing your butt? Look down. Seems like guys butts migrate to the belly area as they age. I could be entirely wrong in your case. Women have much worse migration issues, so take heart.
Anonymous said…
To give a really satisfying dream intepritation, I find it's crucual to understand the images and how the images made you feel. Without the emotional component, the images can mean just about anything.
Ruth L.~ said…
There was emotion, Tim. I was frantic to get the picture and the birds were struggling like crazy. I don't think it matters what the dream means as much as what it means to me, or what I think it means. Do you?
Barbara said…
The great thing about dreams is they make the impossible possible. And of course you took perfect pictures the first time!
Anonymous said…
Yeah, I completley agree with you Ruth.

The emotion you felt as you watched the images is what I'm after. It sounds like it was mostly anxiety? Sometimes I forget the feelings as quickly as I do the images, if I don't quickly articulate them.

I had a flying dream about ten years ago, just before I moved across the country. I felt very anxious (in the dream) but then when the soaring started I felt so much joy. It was really remarkable. Never felt anything quite like it before. It wasn't flying like superman, but this sort of bouncing thing with a pole where each bounce took me way up into the sky. Holly did a big interpriation for me, but all I can remember is thinking it was a good sign. As it turns out, I was right!

Now your dream. Hummm.

I'm going to guess it's about your anxiety as a writer (getting the old sony, whishing for the new Canon) afraid you're not going to be able to capture the amazing non-ficion stories you see unfolding around you (the birds snapping the flowers). The cool thing about it is you overcome all the anxiety in a really dramatic way (the birds making dramatic noises, flying too high, can't find the birds through the lens) and just start snapping pictures anyhow. I would LOVE to know what you were feeling in your dream as you started snapping those shots! I bet it was some victorious good feelings! I think it is a very powerful dream about moving onto the next level as a writer, feeling like you may be in over your head, but jumping in anyway and capturing the story. Good stuff!
Anonymous said…
Ruth--

How odd is this: Today I was driving down my little dead-end road. As I got near the end a bird took off from someone's yard. I swerved my car because it seemed to be coming at me. I thought it was an eagle for a second; it seemed to have a large white head. Turned out it was just a crow with a giant white thing--some kind of ball or wadded-up paper or something--in its beak.

And then for no particular reason other than I was missing your presence on the IWW list, I came here to see what you'd been up to.

Wild.
Anonymous said…
My dream was not natural. I dreamed last night that I met and befriended Britney Spears. A really dumb dream.
Ruth L.~ said…
Barbara~ In the dream I knew I'd get a good shot. I was just optimistic about it.

Tim~ You might have found a calling: dream whisperer.

Sarah! That was me! The crow. I had a huge wad of hundred dollar bills in my mouth, and I was going to see if you wanted to go shopping. :>)

Rhea~ Not to get all Zen . . . but what does Britney symbolize to you? Think about it; you might hit a goldmine of inner angst. :>)

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