Another dream to report.

I was with my ex inside an unfamiliar house. Sometimes the house resembled my mom’s house. I think we were sorting through and packing away items. I went to the closet and grabbed a clear box with a couple of items inside. I pulled out a bag with Whataburger written on it. Inside was an uneaten hamburger (satisfaction, having all you need in life, over indulgence).  I realized the hamburger was very old. It was never eaten and in perfect condition still in the wrapper. I mentioned it to my ex and was disappointed that it was not fit for consumption. I opened it up and inside were two patties. I mentioned this saying, “It even has two patties!” I took the burger to the back door. At this time the house resembled my mom’s house so there would have been a back deck. Where the deck should’ve been was an overgrown jungle of plants (journey into the unknown, untapped potential, fear). I tossed the uneaten burger into the plants and it landed under some ivy.  I could see that it opened up, exposing the perfectly round patties, side by side. I was hoping the dog (protection, companionship) would eat it (hope for satisfaction in the future) but the burger was so deep in the greenery that I knew the dog would not find it. This also disappointed me. What a waste, I thought.

I went back inside feeling pessimistic. I announced to my ex that I had decided to leave him everything I owned in my will because, “Why not? I have no one else to leave it to.” I felt a sense of defeat when I said this, as if everything was pointless. I had done so much and come so far but in the end, none of it mattered (sounds like the song – In the End, Lincoln Park”). My ex acted like he didn’t hear what I said nor notice my depressed state. Instead, he told me he and the co-owners of his company were going to find a way to pay me what was left for my shares of the company. He said, we already made an appointment with the bank. He was really excited because he would save the interest if he paid it off early. I wasn’t as excited. My mind was filled with worry over the lost interest and not getting a monthly payment for the next five years like I anticipated. I was handed a document that had the payment dates written on it. I saw each payment had a name and was shown as a transfer from the name to someone of the same name. None of it made much sense to me and the names, though I can’t recall them now, were not names of people but random, nonsensical words. 

Meaning

I think this is a worry dream reflecting some of my thoughts about my current situation and my worries about the future. Hamburgers symbolize life satisfaction and sustenance. They can also symbolize over indulgence and greed. The burger was untouched, packed away in a box in a closet indicating I was perhaps delaying gratification for a later date. This reminds me of what I and others often do when it comes to making decisions in life. We put it off saying, “I’ll do it when (insert condition) happens.” For me, I put off divorce for various reasons – the children, money concerns, uncertainty about the future, fear. I made so many excuses, convincing myself I needed to stay just a bit longer, until such and such happened and I felt more confident about the path ahead. The reality is I was afraid and uncertain. I didn’t have enough confidence that I could handle the consequences of making such a drastic life change. 

In the dream I am super disappointed about the perceived loss. I tossed it into a jungle of confusion and fear hoping it would at least get eaten by the dog and not be a complete waste. The dog never arrived to eat it because it was so deep in the jungle. Perhaps this represents the hope that I would not walk this unknown path alone only to realize I would have to do it alone? All I know is I felt defeated at that point in the dream. 

The last part of the dream reflects my thoughts from the previous day. I was suppose to go to an informational meeting about wills and trusts but opted out at the last minute. I didn’t see the point. I suspect all my assets will be eaten up over time anyway, leaving very little and making a trust pointless. Saying I would leave everything to my ex could be symbolic of feeling the pointlessness of how things turned out. My ex recently told me about paying off the loan early, probably in January. I was happy when I heard the news, but in the dream it felt like bad news because I worried how I would manage the money. Though I would love to retire now, it is much to early for the money to last the amount of time I might have left. I could be alive for another 20-30 years or more. I hope not, but without knowing for sure I don’t want to over budget and end up with nothing in my old age. 

I think the dream also reflects the regret I’ve felt here and there about the decision to divorce and lose, what I perceive as, a lifetime of financial security. 

When I woke I was considering options for the future. If I don’t find steady work, then as soon as this lease is up I need to move back to my country home and live a very minimal existence. I can live comfortably there for less than $1000/mo.  If I do this, then I could possibly live out the rest of my life there without worrying about money. This doesn’t take into account other factors like my children’s needs, health issues, relationship changes, etc. There is no way to predict what will happen. Trying to plan such things is pointless, really, because of all the unknown variables. I think I recognize this in the dream, too, when I notice how much time I wasted planning and waiting for something that never actually happened. The only real relief I’ve felt is in knowing I am no longer living with a timebomb. 

Good News

Around lunch time I got a call from the principal of the elementary school where I interviewed for a part-time school counselor position. The interview was three weeks ago today. She offered me the job and apologized for how long the process took. I accepted without hesitation. She told me HR would contact me but it may be two days or more because they are transitioning to a new system.

I was not surprised to get the job offer. When I first saw the job posting I thought, “I want that [job]”. I didn’t apply for a while after because I kept doubting myself and what I wanted. It has been difficult for me to find any motivation for work, much less other parts of life, lately. I finally did apply and got a request for an interview. I did superbly at the interview, the correct responses to the questions coming easily and without much thought.

There could still be a delay with the HR situation so I remain in a waiting period. I feel the entire delayed process is a reflection of my readiness both emotionally and mentally. A part of me is very afraid of this change and full of self-doubt. I have not worked in education since 2017. However, while at the interview, I said something that surprised me which is typical of a Self-Projected Projector. I told the interview panel that my plan was to return to school counseling and restart classes to get my LPC. Later, when I thought about it, the idea didn’t seem half bad. I was only two classes and an internship away from my LPC when I got pregnant with my youngest and decided to withdraw from the program. Can I return after so many years? Do I even want to? It may be what I need to do so I am going to explore the option.