Not So Sweet Dreams

Last night I had a really cool dream… and then, like always, it fell apart. Literally.

I dreamed that I was with my family at a restaurant that served the world’s biggest burger. The burger came on this huge platter and was so tall, that it was laid down sideways across the platter so as not to spill. It had multiple layers of bun, huge patties and every cool topping you could imagine (You have to understand my love for food to comprehend why this would be such a good dream).

So just as we began to dig into this amazing burger, my dream pulled one of its typical maneuvers and became frustrating. As we tried to pick up pieces of the burger it fell apart. The buns were getting soggy from all the juices. Soon I was digging through lettuce trying to find the meat and we couldn’t even find a patty.

Within seconds… my dream had become… frustrating.

It’s not that I have nightmares… it’s just that my dreams never end well.

So is it just me, or does this always happen?

I never have good dreams.

Never!

Sure, I have the beginning of good dreams, but then they always get weird or frustrating. If my wife and I are about to embark on a nice kayak ride across an amazing lake, we’ll start sinking or we’ll have forgotten our paddles. If I get to go see someone I care about, I’ll get lost in the journey. Good always turns bad before the dreams end.

To make matters worse, I always dream about being unprepared. I have no idea where this comes from. Anyone who has heard me speak knows I spend tons of time in preparation and even speak without notes (a method I talk about in my recent MORE 10-Minute Talks books). But in my dreams, I’m showing up to officiate a wedding, and I’m got nothing to wear but biking shorts (yeah… weird) and I haven’t even thought about what I’m going to say.

And yes, if I have that scary dream where someone or something is chasing me… then sure enough, my feet are in quicksand or I can only run in slow motion.

Why? What is Freud’s explanation for this?

Let me not lead you astray. It’s not like I’m waking up in cold sweats every night or having chronic nightmares. Far from it.

I just never have happy endings to my dreams.

So is it just me? Because I sure prefer being awake.