This Fish Needs A Bicycle

the man in the brown coat

I keep having this dream that in brief, goes as follows:

I'm on a ferry, cell phone in hand, feeling very anxious. The ferry is late. And I know that at the ferry's destination, a man in a brown coat is waiting for me and I'm absolutely desperate to get to him. Only, I'm very afraid that we're going to miss him and he won't be waiting there anymore. So I'm running across the ferry, pushing my way to the front of the boat, and I hear people chiding me "It won't get you there any faster!" I can see this man in the brown coat is standing on a shoal, his hands in his pockets. I see his mouth, too -- but he's not saying anything. I keep looking at the screen on my cell phone. I want to try to call, but I see the battery is dying and I'm worried he won't hear me.

And then I wake up.

That's it. I can't wait to run across the street and tell my mystic friend, Michael, about this dream. Maybe he'll be able to help me. In the meantime, I keep looking for brown coats -- around the office, on the street. But everyone's wearing black. Well, nearly everyone. There may be someone in navy blue here and there, but no man in the brown coat.

*** after speaking with my Mystic Michael ***

The Ferry: A ferry, or any boat, symbolizes movement from one place to another. The fact that the ferry never arrives is neither good nor bad; it simply means that I am one stressed out little girl. "I wish I could take your anxiety from you!" says Michael.

The Water: Emotion. Boat on water? Emotional progress. "You know, this brings color to your cheeks. I don't think I've ever seen you so alive."

The Coat: "I don't think it's necessarily the color of the coat. Tell me about what the coat is made of," he asks. "Is it leather? Fabric?" Fabric, I told him. Like a farmer's coat, maybe more refined. But it's definitely a bit coarse. "That should tell you something."

The People on the Ferry: "They're telling you to relax. That worry will not get you there faster. You're going to arrive." But will the object of my travel be there? "Yes, I think it will be."

The Cell Phone: Communication. DUH. "Yes, but the fact that you aren't using the phone... you want to reach out and you aren't doing it because you're afraid it will be useless. Then the fact that you can use the phone and don't is not ominous. It may very well work. You simply don't try." I am afraid of being misunderstood.

"Do you wake up feeling sad or upset?"
"No... just, nervous. Desperate. Like I should be doing something more to get there. I don't like feeling... ineffective."
"But running on the ferry gets you nowhere, and you know that, or there wouldn't be people telling you to stop."
"Right. Hmm."
"This is very exciting, that you're having this dream over and over."
"I think I need a vacation."

I called my brother and ask about my father's winter coat. It's dark green.

Posted by This Fish at November 25, 2003 10:00 AM