It was Celine’s weekend off work, so she was still dressed in her nightgown and robe when she meandered into the kitchen. Her long blond hair was tousled from the previous night’s sleep. As she reached for a mug from the cupboard, she said, “I think I’m going to need two cups of java this morning!”
“That tired?” asked her husband, Frank.
“No, it’s not that,” said Celine. “I just want an extra jolt of caffeine to get over a troubling dream that I had last night. It was so strange.”
“How was it strange?” said Frank.
After pouring her coffee and adding milk, Celine walked to the kitchen table and sat down across from Frank. “It’s kind of difficult to put into words,” she began, “but in the dream it felt as though my very being had been taken over by a strange, almost alien, force.
“That does sound weird,” said Frank.
“This thing–whatever it was–assumed complete control over me. I felt so constricted and bound. During the dream, I was forced to accept a name that I didn’t want–Neaera, whatever that means; and I had to believe that I could be defined by whatever thoughts entered my mind, especially negative ones. If I heard words such as dumb, ugly, or loser, I had to accept them as personal traits. I think I rarely, if ever, heard a positive word.
“Initially, I was resistant to such rules; but as the dream progressed, my spirit became beaten down and I willingly accepted them. I began to speak negatively about myself, and I lived in almost perpetual fear of what persons thought of me. I never felt at peace, and I was defensive most of the time. When situations didn’t meet my expectations, I often became resentful, and sometimes even enraged. Get this, I actually even hated some people!” At the thought of her last words, Celine felt a tremor shake through her body.
“Whew,” said Frank, as he reached to touch Celine’s hand, “well, at least the dream is over now.”
“Yes,” said Celine, “thank God. Now, I can go back to being who I Am. Get you another cup of coffee, Honey?”
***
Dear Readers: Does the term “ego” ring a bell? Are you living from the center (and power) of your essential nature, or merely existing by the so-called standards of your ego? There’s a deeper dimension of YOU; and It’s divine.
Dare to dream (and care for one another).
With heartfelt regards,
Art
Copyright © – 2023 – R. Arthur Russell
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