Mr. Thompson

I am in a bank, a very elegent-looking, mahogany-filled, dimly-lit, old-fashioned bank. I don't know why I am there. I am waiting online when, all of a sudden, an old friend walks through the door whom I haven't seen in a very long time. Actually, it is someone I haven't spoken to in a while because I left on bad terms with them. I am surprised to see this person, and they me. She is holding a laptop and starts talking to me about how her laptop is broken and perhaps the bank can fix it.

All of a sudden, I'm on top of the counter at the bank and we are the only ones in it. But then, it starts filling up with people and the girl disappears. Then the bank scene changes to an aquarium. I see fish tanks and wake up.

I'm sorry my posts are somewhat late but I've been very busy and, also, my computer has been giving me problems.

I found the first class wholly productive. We all seem to mix well and get along with one another. We accomplished much in the first class and I think that is a good sign of things to come.

I didn't feel uncomfortable sharing any dream-related thoughts with everyone else. Everyone seemed "in the same boat." Reading Freud was interesting, though he can be a little opaque at times.

Everyone had very intelligent things to say, and the course material should pave the way for more interesting conversations. I am pleased thus far. (and it's only been one class!)

Reading Freud, at times, is more difficult than decoding a dream. His writing style, and manner of explanation, is very baroque. However, there are times when he seems to become playful. Be that as it may, I found I only enjoyed reading Freud because I found what he had to say very insightful and yet very far-fetched. Some of his theories seem logical while others seem like he is trying so desperately to fill in his own gaps.

It's naturally difficult to read about dreams because we all have our own pre-conceived notions and theories about them. Being told that EVERY dream is a wish and that, basically, every thought we have is rooted in sexual depravity can be somewhat frustrating. Freud presumes to know so much about the human psyche and yet he never seems to explain any of it; or at least he never seems to explain any of it well.

Nevertheless, Freud is still interesting. He is intelligent, didactic, amusing, insightful, and ridiculous. He is wild. He is the master. He's a drug addict. He's Freud.

I really enojoyed reading Kafka. I find myself reading more of his stories, even though I'm so bogged down with other reading. I have a book of his stories. So many of them are these little one paragraph blurbs that don't seem to make any sense at first but are really amazing anyway. I don't know why I like him so much. I recommend everybody read him more.

I wish we could have discussed him more as a class because it's difficult to make any sense of his stories. I feel his writing is meant for discussion.

I am walking around my hometown. It seems abandoned. I can walk in the middle of the street without any cars hitting me. I feel lost even though I recognize the surroundings. I keep seeing people I know, both family and friends. It keeps getting dark and then light. All of sudden the streets fill up with water and a large whale comes. I sit on top of him even though I'm very afraid (I'm afraid of large sea creatures). I see a group of my friends but they won't talk to me and a feel left out. A house is on fire and everyone seems to be leaving the town. For some reason, I feel jealous in the dream, as if everyone is in on some secret of which I am not aware. I wake up carrying that emotion with me throughout the day.