This is too good not to share.
A friend and LYB reader forwarded my Rafa dream post to a fellow tennis player and psychologist, Beth Freed. In response, Beth offered up her professional analysis of the dream, starting with my half-assed remark in the comments section about flip-flops signifying an abrupt change of mind:
“The “flip-flops” your friend wears could actually, as she suspected, be a symbol of her ambivalence with her own desires. As much as she jokingly says her marriage allows for a healthy Rafa crush, her dream seems to indicate otherwise. It is full of contradictions and blocked opportunities. She has great courtside seats yet is stuck in “rickety metal bleachers”; she has a chance for direct contact with Rafa yet is wearing an embarrassing outfit; she has a chance to connect with him as a ball girl yet continues to make bad throws, to the point where the ball sticks to her hand like Velcro. A real Freudian would have fun interpreting that as suppressed guilt over her sexual desire. And then Rafa at the end with the harsh reprimand of “You must take things more serious” (I can SO hear him say that!), embodies her own superego judging and keeping her desires in check.
“It also suggests a feeling of diminished capacity, not just because of age but a possible injury. Some dream interpreters (Jung) say that every person in one’s dreams ultimately represents a part of the self. If she’s recovering from something, Rafa could represent the part of her that knows she needs to be more patient (and take things seriously) in order to recover and achieve her dreams.”
How awesome is that? I’ve been a Freud skeptic ever since having to read about Dora and her damn reticule in school, but this analysis is pretty persuasive to me. (I’ve had some really interesting dreams lately, including one in which I accidentally discover that Trump and Hosni Mubarak (who faked his death) are plotting global domination. I wonder if Beth has a good Freudian read on that?)
As for the Jungian analysis of my Rafa dream, it’s true that I’m still dealing with some shoulder issues and wondering if I’m causing more damage by playing tennis. But where’s the fun in that interpretation? This is why Freud got invited to all the parties while Jung sat home with his cat.**
Not to quibble, but I did notice Beth didn’t opine on whether Rafa might want me. Maybe you have to be a paying client to get self-serving dream interpretations.
Many thanks to Beth for her insight and for allowing me to share it. All joking aside, it really is fascinating.
And thank you, Kathy, for forwarding my blog to other tennis fans! Always appreciated! 😊🎾
**said the woman sitting next to her cats and typing a blog post on a Friday night.
OMG! I love that. And yes, you should be patient with yourself. Great advice.
I know! This might become my favorite blog post. I think Beth should start a dream interpretation web business. She could post some samples of her work, and then people would send in their dreams. I have such weird dreams, I’d be her #1 client.
As a big dreamer myself, I was drawn your posts about your Rafa dream. I laughed out loud as I read about the dream and then your commentary on the interpretation.
Speaking of the interpretation, how insightful! Beth Freed even picked up on your injury. Maybe she could consider creating a blog of her own and select, for interpretation, the most interesting “dream of the month” her readers submit. I’d be a fan!