The land of dreams

Just how long do dreams last, apart from the whole of one's life? Do they have any purpose? Perhaps what I am now offering will prove a delight to the psycho-analysts! An exercise in vulnerability perhaps.

Last night, retired to bed at 11.00pm but, was then laying awake until at least 1.ooam. Sometime between 1.00 and 2.00 I must have been asleep because I awoke from a dream shortly after 2.00am. In this dream, I'd paid several visits to a large chapel where, the minister was well known to me. The chapel wasn't particularly well attended, (that bit I presume was quite true to life!), and the cleric seemed to have a personal word for everyone in his address but, when it came to me ... nothing .. (that certainly seemed quite normal).

After the service, his reverend self took yours truly aside; I sensed this was some kind of special commission. Next time I turned up at the chapel, I found myself directed to the vestry door and a different minister pointed me to another door; I felt like telling him I was only there to read the meter but, instead I followed his command.

Somehow this door led me into the back of the balcony. The hall was full to bursting and I was passed over the heads of the assembled throng. That's when the panic struck but, by this time, all eyes in the building were focussed on me ... I started to run ...

Next thing I know, I'm wide awake and it's shortly after 2.00am. By 3.15am arrived, I'd given up on thoughts of getting back to sleep so I went downstairs to get a bite to eat. Returned to bed about 3.45 and slept until, I was vaguely aware of the better half making herself an early morning cup of tea.

The next I knew, I was at some sort of college and, found myself roped in to a dramatic production, to play some sort of sinister Beckettsian clown type figure! Called in to see my parents in some war-stricken village and, Mum said how proud she was that I'd been honoured, or at least trusted, in this role.

It was time to head back to the college so, small suitcase in hand, I headed off to do my duty. This is when I began to get lost but, several hours later I found the college. A general buzz of excitement was in the air, the only problem was that I couldn't find the dressing room. Perhaps this wasn't too major a problem as I had already donned some grossly oversize trousers en route. This was the moment to panic ... "I don't know the lines" was the refrain that kept echoing through the corridors so ... I ran.

This is the point when I got lost in the surrounding countryside but, not yet total panic. Turn a corner and a large petrol tanker is heading towards me; "this must be a punishment for chickening out" was the thought reverberating through my head. The tanker drew closer then, it suddenly swerved, veered over a cliff into a large sea loch ...

My wife entered the room, this bit was for real ... the dream was over. Do dreams ever have a resolution? How long does a dream last?