In 2001, before September 11, someone at the old big corporation a few miles north of the current Big Corporation suggested a book called “Clarity Quest” by Pamela Ammondson.  The subtitle of the book was “How to Take a Sabbatical Without Taking More Than a Week Off.”

I love the word “clarity” and so I bought the book and followed the 8 week program religiously.  I worked on improving my sleep, eating better, exercising more, fiddling with my finances, and enhancing my relationships.  In the final week, I took a trip to Deer Isle, Maine and did a lot of thinking and writing.  It was magical because I had never been to this part of Maine before.

The author outlined a number of “Clarity Insights” and “Clarity Insight #2” was “Your dreams can help you reach a deeper understanding of yourself.”  Ms. Ammondson elaborated how our night dreams were the doorway to the unconscious and by understanding them better, we could reach a world beyond our physical reality.  The book suggested writing down any remembered dreams.

In 2001, I probably believed “Clarity Insight #2.  These days, I am more of the Ebenezer Scrooge school of thought on dreams; a crazy dream may just be some undigested red meat or a piece of kale stuck in my teeth.  Although I have suggested placing seed catalogues under the pillow, I don’t actually believe it will lead to Technicolor flower power dreams.

During my “Clarity Quest” I wrote down quite a few dreams; what is interesting about them in retrospect is that many of the people I dreamed about are still in my life.  For example:

• I dreamed I got a voice mail message from Bobby Knorr but he didn’t leave a number for me to call him back.  I dialed “411” and reached James Earl Jones personally and he connected me with Bobby Knorr’s dentist’s office.  I left a message.

• I dreamed I was traveling on a small twin-engine plane with my brother and the pastor of the church I attend.  We landed near a Wal*Mart and then we couldn’t find a place to take off.  When we finally did take off, we were flying in the fog and the plane hovered close to the ground for the entire dream journey.

• I dreamed someone had left all kinds of dirty silverware in my silverware drawer.  In my dream log I wrote “I showed my mother and she was repulsed.”  (Helen, Help Us!)

• I noted a dream about my brother’s dog, Bernie.  Sadly, Bernie is no longer with us.  He was a good dog and we miss him.

• I dreamed my friend Samantha Van Hopper was singing the praises of Barlean’s flax oil and then she washed down several Barlean’s pills with a glass of Moxie.

• The last dream I recorded in my dream log was about the owners of the Deer Isle bed and breakfast I stayed at – Sal and Lou Cooper of The Red House Bed and Bath.  They had returned from a chamber music concert at Kneisel Hall in Blue Hill.  I asked them how the performance was and they said “Horrible!  It was like listening to a 7^th grade band concert!”

No, I don’t think night dreams mean much because if you’ve ever been to Kneisel Hall, you know it never sounds like a 7^th grade band concert.  This weekend will be the last summer concert at that beautiful and musical place in Blue Hill; I can only dream of being there.

Dreams and schemes!  There may be no hidden meaning to our night-time dreams, but I’m going to keep day dreaming!

What are you dreaming of doing this weekend?