I dreamed a dream...

of Goddard West.
Many familiar faces.
And new faces.
And different modes of transportation.
and...
CAKE.

Lots of cake.

The narrative ran something like this:

I had arrived at Goddard West with Hazel and John and their fiddle player in a white stationwagon -- oldsmobile from the early 90's, white. The time at Residency is hazy to my dream recollection, but before leaving, one of the girls at camp wanted to make sure we got a piece of cake. We opened the faculty fridge and it is PACKED with cakes, sheets of pastries, and many of kinds of sweets. She reaches for one cake, I pull out another. Sweets are stacked on sweets and I remember clearly selecting my piece, although it was not what I had in mind when we first opened the fridge. I remember taking one tray off of my cinnamon and creme rolls and then cutting into the sheet pastry and taking my first bite. The exact crumbliness and give of the roll -- everything -- was so specific and real in the dream. My partner in crime was surprised at my choice of pastry -- she chose differently -- but I recall feeling so content and the sweet roll hit the spot. Then it was time to go and I realized that Hazel was staying longer to do workshops, but I was ready to go. For a split second, I felt panic at unplanned separation. Then I realized I had already reserved a spot on the Rocket and had no need to panic.

SCENE.

I need time to think on this one; however, the selection of cakes in the home of the advisors is one of the key metaphors, in my interpretation. The home of the advisors symbolizes wisdom, knowledge,life choices (embodied by the teachers themselves) and the fridge is how the wisdom, choices are preserved. The cakes to me represent possibilities, choices even, in life. In selecting a cake, while I thought I knew what I wanted, I looked further and changed my mind. My selection went counter to the "popular choice" and the expectation of my colleague. In essence, my "fave" changed in a matter of dream seconds. Since the dream was at Goddard, I think it relates to my journey over the past few years. The journey began with some friends, but does not necessarily continue with the same comfortable group. I think my return towards home on the Rocket is about the solitude of the inward journey. We go it alone, but need not face our journey with such trepidation or feel that it is unexpected. While I worried in the dream, the Rocket was there all along. The worry was superfluous. The cake, essential.