Dreams and Nightmares

Illustration Cupboard

I am not an expert in dreams, nightmares or sleep apnea (a serious sleep disorder). However, I work up this morning dreaming, than fell back to sleep and continued my dream. It was so vivid I had to share it with you. Especially now that high school graduation is a challenge for many to find work or go on to college or . . . Part of the dream was actually like some occurrences that have happened to me while other parts were surreal (unrealistic).

The university president asked me to prepare a welcoming letter for incoming freshmen. I was a grad student at the time and a Freshman Adviser. They were a mix of a salutatorian or two, high and minimal grades, some with firm goals, male and female. The class began and a cell phone went off, briefly. Some snickers by those who had set the vibration on. I explained that some six years earlier I was a Freshman but no Advisers back then.

I began by reading from the letter I would pass out later: Dear fellow students, welcome to our prestigious institution. We are honored to have your presence and wish you well. You will discover before too long that you are elated to be here but one or two of you may disappear. So let me warn you that this can happen but we hope it doesn't as it has in the past, not only here but elsewhere . . . That was all I got to read as hands went up all over. We had quite a discussion.

Now my memory is beginning to fail on the entirety of the dream. So let me address the topic to grads from high school, their parents and yes, grandparents, friends and would-be professors and possibly advisers. Higher education does educate some but not all students. Some study less and do well while others study hard and barely succeed. Temptations arise and some are too often ignored. Unthinkable habits occur. When grades emerge not to their liking, some give up while others dig deeper. Roommates can be a blessing or a curse. A few mutter "Why didn't someone warn me?" Others blame
themselves, their teachers, the institution, their colleagues, even parents. Some become spendthrifts and go deeply into debt; still others blossom beautifully, get good to great report cards, make decent friends and become assets to the culture in which they are embedded.

And so, dreams end, are forgotten or linger for years. So dream on.