I’m not big on dream interpretation. Most of my dreams relate
in a direct fashion to things I’ve recently read, watched or experienced. But
last night’s dream begs for interpretation, and I have one.
It was on the farm where I grew up. My sister, Dolores, and
two of my brothers, Paul David and Raymond, were with me in the big field below our house.
We were separated from each other but had our guns because something had been
bothering the cattle. I was walking the fence line when I heard two deer
bounding away in the narrow band of trees behind me. As I looked for what had
startled the deer, I saw a tiger stalking through the field on the other side
of the fence. It hadn’t seen me yet.
Suddenly afraid, I ran toward my brothers and sister, yelling a
warning. The tiger came into the field where we were. It was strangely
elongated. It must have been thirty feet long, with weird “S” curves in its
body. I realized the tiger had focused on my sister. I opened fire with my
rifle to prevent it reaching her but the bullets had no effect. Dolores was
near the pond and when the tiger reached her it broke into a number of smaller
tigers and attacked.
Dolores disappeared and then the tiger turned and looked at
me. It was just one again. I ran toward our house, hoping for a hiding place. I
managed to reach the house and get the door shut, but the tiger burst through
that flimsy barrier. I slammed another door in its face and it burst through
that one too. I ran, slamming doors that it smashed away. I’d lost my gun but
was searching for another in a panic as I woke up.
So, what is the interpretation? Well, Dolores died of colon
cancer. I’m convinced the tiger represented that cancer. That elongated, curved
tiger could even be said to resemble one’s intestines. But why should I have
this dream? Now? Well, yesterday I had a colonoscopy. I’d been worried about
it, afraid the tiger was going to come after me. Fortunately, they found only a
couple of small polyps that don’t indicate any problems. Only after the relief
of that news could my fears finally surface in a dream.
