Jenny Fair Music Festival,
Thank you for the heads up on the cinematic flavor of this delightful technicolor dreamcoat. I’ve adequately prepped by popping some corn and pouring myself an ice cold glass of fizzy water. I’m stoked to break down this Oscar-worthy romp for you.
Before I begin, I should mention that I stumbled upon the perfect musical accompaniment for this one. As you well know, I can’t write a damn thing without music. Fortunately, I’ve got plenty of dreamy jams to spin, including this tune by Tyler Ramsey. The whole album is my recommended listen for the day.
Pt. 1: There’s a Mountain at Your Gates
I seem to remember you telling me about the job-well-done you and Papa P., A.K.A. Cap’n Perkycutlass, did on that gate. To put in that time and elbow grease together will leave an indelible mark on your Brun Burger. You probably don’t think of it much on the day-to-day, but I bet if you stopped and thought about that gate for any length of time, you’d automatically think of your Daddio Naharis (apple jeans for the GoT reference).
The act of fixing something–literally–with another person, is a deeply therapeutic and symbolic act. In the ol’ drim world, gates specifically represent feelings of security and opportunity. When tied to home and, moreover, to a linchpin of your youth and innocence (begetting more security), I think the gate is a nod to safety. Both gates, really, since you’re also thinking of the second gate, the one that shields you and your siblings’ childhood trees.
I really can’t think of a more reliable or clear-cut metaphor of youth and security. Your subconscious is on-point!
I would ask if there’s any anxieties that have been encroaching on this safe feeling recently, but I believe the Golden God, Lilybutts, holds the answer.
Who, or what, can be more innocent, precious, or warm than a loving pup? I believe the worry that Lily will escape, particularly through the gaps in the gate you and your dad fixed, represents an anxiety familiar to all young people in their mid to late twenties:
At some point those cornerstones of youth and safety, ones you’ve held dear all your life, will be lost. It’s an inevitability, though a sour one for all.
*Resists urge to start playing “Landslide” by Fleetwood Mac*
Jennybean, am I anywhere near the mark with this nostalgia-laced sucker punch? If I am… well, just know that I’m right there with you. I suppose that, yes, we’re already adults. We have adulty jobs and big kid shoes and retirement plans, but we are still very young. Our inner children are raging against the real-world machine.
Pt. 2: The Grass is Always Greener on the Other Psyche
You know what else gates represent? The desire to separate us from the world outside. So while my interpretation of part one may have seemed like a bummerino, part two is far more optimistic:
While anxieties may linger over what is left behind, you know that the world beyond is beautiful. And it is waiting for you.
*Resists urge to start playing “Don’t Stop” by Fleetwood Mac*
When you looked out on this Seussian dreamscape, was the horizon made up entirely of hills? I find this interesting for a couple reasons. For one thing, hills quite clearly represent obstacles, due to the necessary and sometimes arduous ascent required to pass over them. Clearly, you’re preempting the challenges the future may hold. However, these challenges are continually shifting. Do you feel that this shift was exhilarating? Did it make is easier to pass over these hills?
Flowers, too, are a vibrant symbol. The tulips that you specifically ID’ed are all about new beginnings and opportunity–the attached red color speaks to passion. Perhaps this is your lust for life, Jennybean? Your way of looking at the unknown and charging ahead shouting:
Pt. 3: Oh Captain My Captain!
This was such a stunning sight, you just had to report it all to the inventor, didn’t you? Parents are inventors in the most basic, biological sense. They invent actual living, breathing people–sometimes completely by accident, often on purpose. Cap’n Perkycutlass as inventor seems to be another clear-cut metaphor.
It really warms my heart that subconsciously you wanted to run back to him and tell him everything you’d discovered beyond that wind-blown red gate. It harkens back to another strong feeling from youth: Look, Dad! Look what I found, look what I made!
Was there any subconscious follow-up here? What did the Cap have to say about your discovery?
Pt. 4: Praise Be to Garlic Knots
Okay, I am utterly honored to have made a cameo at the end of this impactful dreambino. I will henceforth consider it my finest role.
Sidebar: While I didn’t type it out for the blogbear, I did mention to you the other day that you were in my dream, too! I find it delightful that our waking bond has transcended to a sort of telepathic level where:
- The dialogue is so on point.
- We’re meeting at a spa in one brain burger and going for a relaxing jog in another.
Friend-Care = Self-Care!!
You’ve gone from anxiety over the past to wonder at the future directly to a Subconscious Spa where the one and only Embersticks “All-Night Snack Bar” Vestibule and I are waiting.
This dream is all about clearly defining the stages of one’s life, I believe. I don’t know about you, but when I look back, I view certain friendships as lines of demarcation in the crazy landscape of maturation. A good example, for me, is when I met you, Embersticks, and our dear Master Sparklehorn. You three are my V.I.P.s.
So, perhaps Embersticks and I, in this instance, are showing that the next chapter is not something to fret over, but something to get excited about (you know, like a piping hot basket of garlic knots).
I’m not saying the transition is always going to be smooth. But with the right people by your side, it will always be FUN.
F is for friends who do stuff together
–Spongebob Squarepants
U is for you and me
N is for anywhere and anytime at all
Love and smuckers,
Mackenzie, Mack, M