Does EVERYONE know?!?
My mom decided that I had too much clutter at my apartment, and that I should store some of it at David and Jan's apartment (my brother and his partner). My dad told my mom to pack up four large boxes of my stuff and bring it to David and Jan's. So my mom did. She didn't consult me on what she took. She put the boxes in the trunk of her car. Then she had David and Jan carry them into their apartment. David and Jan were not happy about storing my stuff but agreed to anyway. David and Jan lived in a beautiful, exotic, sunny apartment that you had to walk down steps to get to. As my stuff was being taken down the steps, I was concerned about how difficult it would be to get it back. It would be very inconvenient. I also noticed that one box contained my television and VCR, and I was obviously upset. My mom had made bad choices. I thought about how I didn't get to make the decision to remove my own clutter (not bring it to David and Jan's), take care of it myself, and her involvement felt invasive and difficult to control. She meant well but was in her own world. I felt bad that David and Jan were being pressured to store my stuff. After my stuff was put in their apartment, there was a plan for the four of us (Mom, me, David, and Jan) to go out for dinner. We were in David's apartment, and I went into their bedroom. I called up a man on the phone who I was dating. He was 46 years old. I asked him if he had children, and he said, "Yes, two daughters, Sarah and Emily. They're wonderful. They are grown now but I still see them a lot." I said, "Oh, that's great!" but I felt sad that I was dating someone who would not want to have children with me. He was past that stage of life. I also felt angry that he didn't care to ask whether I wanted children. I felt used. He was white with glasses and balding. Then I went into the living room. David and Jan's place was decorated beautifully and very minimalist. The doorbell rang and in walked a campy gay man holding a cake with lit candles for David and Jan. He brought in an entourage of other gay men. He sang out, "Congratulations!" David looked shocked and looked at my confusion. He turned to the man with the cake and said, "This is my sister. She doesn't know" (meaning me). The man said, "Oh, sorry," in a genuine voice. Then David said to me, "I have to talk to you," and we left the room together. He said to me, "Jan and I are having a baby. A woman is carrying a baby for us." I asked, "How far along is she?" He said, "Five months." I asked, "Do Mom and Dad know about this?" He nodded yes. I asked, "Does EVERYONE know?!?" He nodded yes. I said, "You just didn't want to fucking tell me, because you knew that I wanted to be the one who carried a baby for you and Jan, and you didn't want me to because you didn't want me to be the baby's mother. You think I'm too fucking unstable!" After I said that, I felt frustrated that I had made such an unstable statement. Did I need to say "fucking" twice and sound so angry when he was sharing good news? I was so pissed off that they avoided telling me for so long. That was more upsetting than them not having me carry the baby. David told he was sorry, but I felt very hurt. Then Jan came in and told me more details. He said that the woman was black and had become pregnant on the street. The baby was going to have problems, maybe even be deaf. When he said that, I felt guilty for having such an aggressive outburst with David earlier. Jan said, "Your father is leaving us messages on the phone constantly telling us not to take this baby, but we already love this baby (a girl), and it doesn't matter to us what kind of problems she has." I felt sad to hear about the problems the baby had but also admired their attitude. I did also worry that they might not know what they were getting into. I felt some concern that it would possibly put a lot of stress into their relationship with each other, raising a baby with a lot of special needs. I also felt excited that I would be the baby's aunt. I imagined a cute black girl with braids smiling, and I felt warmly towards her. Then I felt tired and asked to rest in their bedroom while they hung out at the party in the living room. They said that was fine, and my mom called out, "Don't rest too long. I want to go out for dinner soon." I felt pressured about not being able to rest long enough. Then I went into their bedroom, and I worried about those four boxes of my stuff. I worried that they might contain personal items and that they would get mixed in with David and Jan's stuff. I worried about not having privacy in regard to that and also not getting my things back if they simply got mixed in. The whole idea had been a bad one that my dad had thought of and my mom had carried out. Yet the boxes seemed too heavy to carry back up the steps. Then I found my shoes from the previouos dream, my old comfortable shoes, but I spilled pink paint on them and had difficulty keeping track of where they were amidst David and Jan's shoes. I started to clean them off, and my mom interrupted me saying, "I'm ready to go!" I wiped off my shoes, and then I decided not to go out for dinner because I was emotionally exhausted and had a headache. I didn't want to say anything offensive to David and Jan either. I needed to adjust to all the new information. I asked my mom for some Advil, and she gave it to me. She asked me, "Have you seen the new cable channel that's all mental health programming all the time?" I said no but was intrigued. Unfortunately my television was boxed up!

18 Comments:
Jenny, this dream has everything. B (you're a genius dreamer)
Auntie Em says: I feel this is all about your family of origin. I don't get it all yet (who could! You're a great dreamer!) but I think you relate to the baby with problems and I think the four boxes are you and David and Mom and Dad. Getting rid of clutter...but worrying about how to get it back, your personal things and your TV and VCR. There's much more. I'll keep working on it.
Interesting. Do you have any of those fearful and hurt feelings towards David and Jan in real life?
Auntie Em,
Interesting that your name was in my dream, right?
I love your idea about the four boxes.
Keep working. Thanks
Jen
Sk8rn:
Yes, sure.
Jen
Auntie Em,
I just reread your dream and the baby does sound like me, or evoke a feeling for me about me (Enough about me--let's talk about me). Recently I went out for the evening with David and Jan and we had a great time, and I felt unconditionally loved and not judged. We went out for dessert, and when I told Mom on the phone she said, "How unthoughtful of them to take you for dessert when you are on your eating plan." It was an exhausting comment. No offense, B. You rock! Anyway, just wanted to let you know your comments were quite helpful.
Auntie Em,
I remember mom telling me that Dad thought I was retarded when I was born because I scored poorly on the APGAR test. She said that he waited to bond with me, kept a distance for several months, until he knew that I wasn't retarded. Funny enough, I'm extremely intelligent :). Oh, well, your comment about me being the baby had me thinking.
P-f,
Thanks for the compliments. I can only remember, usually, if I write it down right when I wake up. It sure helped that today is Sunday :).
Yes, I love recurring themes. Old, comfortable shoes are symbolic of alot right?
No offense taken. That WAS an exhausting comment!!! B
could you please post a new dream--even if you make it up? I live for them and their titles. B
B, you are too cute. I'll get cracking soon. Of course, it will be a real dream.
P-f, I like your ideas about shoes :)
This dream touches me so much. B
I'm curious to know why it touches you so much B. Explain if you don't mind.
I guess it's (the dream's) such an eloquent statement of how we (humans) feel helplessness and jealousy and anger and guilt and remorse for having these feelings. It rings of many of my childhood feelings.
I love In or Out. I own it :)
I own it too. B
Love this chaotic, enmeshed, rivalrous, incestuous, tortured dream!!! I quote from your dream: "The whole idea had been a bad one that my dad had thought of and my mom had carried out." Wow! Whatever could that mean?
Love,
Rob
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