Angry Words In A Parking Lot

Last week, I wrote about the phenomenon of the waking dream. I intended to set that topic aside this week and offer a different subject. However, during a dinner party just last night, one of the guests presented a poignant waking dream, and she has been unable to let it go. Her experience so perfectly illustrates the themes I was emphasizing last week, that I would like to present her dream now. It is helpful to know that she is a successful professional artist, dealing in a variety of craft materials to make decorative items and clothing. Here’s her dream.

The dream

I was driving past an empty parking lot and noticed an ornamental shrub growing along the perimeter. Its leaves are ideal for making prints when I dye fabric, so I decided to take a couple of small clippings. The road I was on has a median divider, so I had to go past the driveway and make a U-turn, which I did. I parked near the bush which is in the remotest part of the lot. I had just arrived when a large, white SUV pulled up and parked right next to me. That was surprising since the lot was otherwise completely empty and I was away from any buildings. I looked up and saw that the driver, a woman in her 50s, was glaring at me. We stared at each other for a while, and then I got out of my car, went over to her vehicle and asked if I could be of help. Without rolling down her window, she yelled, “Why the f**k are you following me?” I was completely taken aback and replied that I wasn’t following her; I was here to take plant clippings. She yelled again, “Bullsh**!” I was stunned and didn’t know what to do, so I just went back to my car, got my tools and started doing my work. After another minute or so, I heard her SUV drive away and that was the end of our confrontation. But it was so weird and so upsetting that I can’t get it out of my mind.

Questions to be asked

Was our dreamer the victim of road rage? Was the woman in the SUV crazy? Was she suffering from post-presidential-election jitters? Any number of reasons could offer a plausible objective explanation for what happened.

But no matter the objective reason, one thing is certain: this experience satisfies all of the subjective criteria for an important waking dream. First, the experience came out of nowhere, unprovoked and irrational. Second, it was disturbing to our artist friend since she found herself having to defend herself against an unfounded accusation. Finally, the experience “stayed with her.” Her mind wouldn’t let go of it, and she talked about it incessantly with her husband and friends, unable to come to a resolution.

This dreamer has attended my dream classes so she understands the waking dream concept. She and I got right to work! Stay tuned!

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