It's the weekend, but I'm at work doing a maintenance in the server room. (I'm a network administrator and am singularly responsible for the entire server room, even in real life.) As I'm working on something criticial, though I don't remember what it is, the power in the building goes out. I can hear that sickening *whoosh* that means that all of the machines have turned off. (Apparently the UPS backup didn't kick in, but I didn't think about this in the dream.) Although it's the weekend, people I work with keep coming in to demand to know when I'm going to fix it, even though there's nothing that I can do about the power.
I notice that one tape drive still has power, so I start trying to think if I can get the SAN back up and working by using the power plug for the tape drive, but when I look, I see that the tape drive is plugged into a 220 volt twist-lock plug, which is not compatible with the SAN's power source.
Scene change. I'm now on a tropical island and I'm trying to get together with my SO to go to the movies, but he can't make it or won't come (it's not clear). So I go to the movies by myself, but I take my knitting. I'm working on what looks to be ribbon knitting, but the finished product is a cloth weave scarf (not knitted) that I bought in the airport in Guayaquil. I settle down to the movie, which there are thousands of people watching with me, and I knit through the movie. (I don't have any recollection of the subject of the movie). When it's over and the lights come up, I gather up my knitting, but a little boys stops and shows his mother. "Look Momma, look how beautiful that is!" I am pleased and proud of having accomplished something worthwhile.
Comments (4)
I love how dreams are able to combine two places that are so different from each other. This reminds me of Hobson's idea of "dream-splicing" that I read about in the Bert States essay.
What is interesting is that in the first half of the dream you are doing something seemingly important and complicated at work, but it is not until you knit the scarf, something seemingly easy and trivial, that you get validation for your effort. On top of it all, it's a little boy who gives this comment. Could this possibly say something about what you think of your job? Perhaps it's not what you think is most important to you in your life.
Posted by annie hall | November 18, 2006 5:57 PM
Posted on November 18, 2006 17:57
I think it's interesting that almost all work-related dreams on our blogs involve negative emotions, such as stress, fear, etc. Maybe your's is telling you that even though your job is complex, it's not creative in the way you want it to be creative (hope that made sense)? If so, it seems that in waking life you are already taking steps to satisfy this other part of you, such as continuing to work and taking an English class at night. However, maybe this other part of you also needs to express itself in your dream life.
Posted by vitaminc | November 18, 2006 10:50 PM
Posted on November 18, 2006 22:50
I find it interesting that so many people often dream about work. I don't remember which article it was that said in dreams, we hardly do things that we always do in real life, but we do.
The difference between the two settings is immensely interesting as well. Makes me wonder what in our brains makes such jumps, because work and a tropical island... Maybe you're just waiting for a vacation and some praise for all your hard work.
Posted by AK | November 18, 2006 11:32 PM
Posted on November 18, 2006 23:32
I do think your thought at the end about accomplishing something worthwhile definitely compares to the situation at work where people are pressuring you fix something beyond your control. I totally relate also because I work in a computer room too and when it's power or phone lines down (defintiely beyond my control) that seems to be when everyone is asking the question "why?" and "when will it be fixed?". In fact I find it hilarious in your dream that your are still going through the logical steps of figuring out another way to plug in the server. Very true to life! I think the child's recognition, the movie, the knitting and your significant other, all on the tropical island (nice!) are all either interactions ,places or people that you would rather be involved with instead of being at work. It's cool that in dream world, the environment can just switch and you leave the job behind !
Posted by silent partner | December 2, 2006 3:14 PM
Posted on December 2, 2006 15:14