BARGING INTO AN EMBARRASSING

I am rushing on my way to work because I am late. When I get there I just barge in before checking to see where I am and what I’m supposed to be doing. After barging in I feel quite embarrassed and quickly bow out to give my supervisor some privacy in a meeting she’s having with a client.

Dream Interpretation

barge: moving clumsily and slowly. What wouldn’t you “touch with a barge pole”?
embarrassed: doing something wrong; shame and regret. What are you too embarrassed to admit?
meeting: getting a group of people together; reaching common goals. Who do you need to meet with to get something settled?
client: someone buying a product or service; someone you value and feel responsible to.

When I looked up barge and answered the question, What wouldn’t I touch with even a barge pole? I knew immediately that it was work. I am always late for work because I hate my new office and don’t even want to be there. Under embarrassed, I realized that I am too ashamed to tell my supervisor that I hate the office because it sounds so petty. When I looked up meeting, I realized what was bothering me about my new office. When the supervisor first told me that I would be assigned to a different office and would have to share it with another worker, I was concerned about the lack of privacy. I liked this co-worker, however, so I didn’t say anything. It would have sounded petty and possibly be perceived as a slight to her. I just kept trying to adjust to a situation I didn’t like. We both see clients in the same office and that is where the biggest problems come up in terms of sharing. I feel very uncomfortable when I have to phone a client and she is there doing paper work. My clients assume (naturally) that our conversations are private, but in this situation they aren’t; this has caused me a lot of stress and discomfort. Also, in my previous office other members of the staff would come and vent their frustrations in privacy, which I thought was a helpful service I was providing to the agency. But in my new shared office none of the staff dropped by any more and I felt sad about that.

RESPONSE / ACTION

I spoke with my co-worker about these concerns and we worked out a schedule that allowed each of us to have the office to ourselves. We then went to our supervisor requesting private offices again as soon as they became available. We were told this shouldn’t be too long because renovations to the building would soon open up more space. She was glad we had mentioned our concerns because she had assumed everything was fine with us sharing an office; it we had said nothing, management probably would have slated those new offices for other staff.

RESULTS

My co-worker and I get along even better than before. I am also more in tune with my lateness habit, and what that may mean in terms of my real feelings about going to work in the first place. I am speaking up more at meetings and confidently stating the things I think could be changed. I am no longer as embarrassed about walking into my office when my co-worker is having a meeting during our scheduled shared time. I realize I have a right to be there.

REFLECTION

I saw my co-worker as my supervisor in the dream because I had been moved into what used to be her individual office. I felt like an intruder and this was causing me a lot of problems, not the least of which was that I was avoiding work by being late. Because I was able to talk these feelings out honestly with my co-worker and supervisor and agree to a schedule that was comfortable for both of us, I have a much more positive outlook on my job and a more satisfying relationship with my co-worker.

DREAM WISDOM

Partner’s Dreams
Sharing dreams and assisting another to interpret them is an exciting and rewarding activity. It can bring you closer and help you both understand how the relationship is a benefit or a hindrance to each other’s well-being. Be prepared to learn things about your loved one that you may have to deal with. For example, a woman had a dream that her husband was having an affair and when she told him about the dream, he said it was true. One man dreamed about a change in his wife’s religious faith. When he shared this with her, he found she was indeed having doubts about the denomination they had belonged to for more than twenty years. She wanted to investigate whether other religious traditions might be a more appropriate fit with her changing beliefs.
Often, we unconsciously pick up these pieces of information about our loved ones. Dreams reflect these parts back to us in a story that summarizes our waking life intuitions. When we share these dream stories with our partners, we also share our intuitions. This process moves our relationship to new levels of understanding and insight. It is important to listen to your partner’s dreams in an attentive, non judgmental and loving way. Don’t let yourself become upset on hearing about a dream involving another partner. Your loved one maybe dreaming about you in disguise! And when your partner dreams about sleeping with someone else, it doesn’t mean that he or she necessarily wants to. It might mean that they wish to connect with a part of themselves being revealed in the form of a dream lover. When you do share dreams as a couple, you are taking your relationship to a new and more intimate level.

“Dreams are a valuable guidance system.”
Wilson Van Dusen