The Set Up
When I was younger, I used to remember my dreams frequently. There were the ones that seemingly everyone has where you're floating down the stairs or falling from some great height, along with the running around school or somewhere else in your underwear.
Then there were the ones that were fairly unique, like the time I was on a school field trip. Not so extraordinary, but we were winding up the side of a mountain with hairpin turns in the middle of a thunderstorm to a tall, haunted mansion.
Okay, maybe that dream wasn't so unique, come to think of it (sounds like a personalized version of a Scooby-Doo cartoon episode) but my schoolmates were variations of the classic monsters—Frankenstein, werewolves, vampires, mummies, etc.
Sad thing is, as far as I remember, I was just plain me.
I couldn't tell you if I still have those kinds of dreams because if I do, I don't recall. The ones I do remember are much more subtle or mundane until I start thinking about them later.
I bring this up, naturally, because when I woke up this morning, I remembered the dream I was having. That's only the second time in the last three years so it's kind of a momentous occasion for me.
Before getting into the dream, I should note that either my in-dream observation skills are lacking, or I was partially sucked into it and partially not. In other words, there were some pretty crazy things going on that I did recognize at the time they were happening, but even crazier things I didn't get until after I was out of the dream and going over what took place.
(Which is kind of strange in and of itself, right? You would think it would be the other way around. Not with me, though. Not with me.)
Image source
A representation of my dream, in monochrome, but without the office and the screaming.
Here's The Dream
We're in the main, large open area of an office at a desk. There isn't a cubicle, and the desk is by a wall with windows covered by closed blinds.
There are three men in front of me, two standing behind one who is seated at the desk. The two men are essentially berating the seated man who is arguing back with them. He doesn't appear to be restrained in any way, but makes no attempt to completely turn around or to leave.
Not trying to get away is one of the odd things. Another is, this is happening on the main floor (though I don't remember seeing anyone else really) instead of inside a supervisor's office or some kind of conference room. Then, there is the fact that the men are behind the accused instead of facing him. The last oddity is the man in trouble is arguing just as vehemently back, making it impossible to really understand anything of what is being said.
As if to trump all that, the most bizarre thing though is the man directly behind the one seated starts cutting the seated guy's hair. As punishment. He has scissors and an electric razor, which he switches back and forth (presumably by handing it to the other standing man, who he mostly blocks.
As the man cuts or shaves the other's hair, he doesn't do a whole lot at a time. It's more a snippet here, a tuft there, and it seems to be taking forever. Which is why, maybe, the man getting the haircut somehow winds up with the scissors at one point and sarcastically gets rid of most of his bangs in one fell swoop.
As I said, all of this is going on in front of me. Until this point, I am merely an observer, not a participant. However, just before I come out of the dream, I walk up to the standing man doing the hair cutting and simply tell him, "You're fired."
Without a word, a glance, or any other form of communication, he instantly stops what he is doing and walks away.
The Aftermath
That's where the dream ended. For the first several moments as I was waking, an emotion came over me. I'm not sure exactly why, but it felt like low grade guilt, or wishing I had done something else other than fire the guy.
Then, as I reviewed those scenes, I realized something else I had totally missed during the dream. Something which should have registered as peculiar immediately.
The man who was sitting and being punished by haircut, and the man standing behind him doing the hair cutting, were one and the same. They didn't just look the same, like twins, they were the same person. Same mannerisms, facial expressions, etc., just in different positions.
Now, that was by far the strangest part of the dream, until I realized something else. Again, something I should have thought strange while I was in the dream.
Both men—the one getting the haircut and the one giving it—were my youngest son's father-in-law.
Dun Dun Duuuuuuuun!
Now. I've only been in the same room with this man twice. Once was at my son's wedding, the other a year or so later in a restaurant. Both the times, I found him engaging, humorous and an all around good guy. In other words, I hold no animosity toward him whatsoever. Neither have I seen him get upset or berate anyone. Let alone, cut their hair (or his own hair) as punishment for some perceived misdeed.
Weird, Hunh?
I believe dreams can be a form of communication between man and the divine. Many of those which are recorded in scripture are generally more straightforward than I feel this one is, although there are plenty of others that are not.
However, I don't consider this to be one of those cases. I'm treating it as something my subconscious was working on and my dream is what it decided to spit out for me to turn around and ponder on. Then, obviously, post it here. Because, that's what you do.
I open the floor to anyone who would like to take a stab at it. I did, just for fun, conduct a Google Search, and while the interpretation I found doesn't exactly fit my dream, here it is:
Yo. I Want My Dream Back
If any of that has anything to do with my dream, then I probably should get in contact with my in-law and let him know I got his dream by mistake. I mean, I wasn't getting or giving the haircut, so any changes which have happened or will be happening are his, right?
I won't ask him what he dreamt of in return, though. I don't think I want to know what was actually meant for me. Besides, that would be awkward.
On second thought, so would be telling him, "Hey, um, I'm pretty sure I got your dream by mistake..."
Yeah. I think we'll just keep this one between you and me. Okay?