Had a dream last night

[Rich_by_the_Bay]

Recent events at work called for lots of paperwork, transfer of benefits, and a new business and employment model, all of which might explain this dream I had last night (literally):

I arrived at work (which for some reason was a kind of infield or race track instead of a hospital). As soon as I got there, I was advised that most of my colleagues and I were fired (not "FIREd"). I went right to my boss ready to go to the mat, but when I got to him, I lost my anger. Instead, I told him that I didn't think this was legal, and that I thought some kind of a settlement was called for. He said he would think about it.

I then went home and told my wife, who surprised me by saying simply, "So where should we go?"
​

OK, my Freudian friends: let's have it. The dream is almost embarrassingly obvious; when I woke up and thought about it, it left me feeling pretty good.

(For those who don't know me, I'm nearing 59, probably about a year from FIRE in a pretty intense job which I really enjoy but which is consuming waaayyy more of my life energy and balance than I'd like.)

 

[Martha]

So, where are you going to go?

Nice reaction to the dream. I bet it would have been different 10 years ago.

 

[W2R]

OK, my Freudian friends: let's have it. The dream is almost embarrassingly obvious; when I woke up and thought about it, it left me feeling pretty good.

Oh Rich... I had a dream like that too, where I got fired and then realized I was FREE. The rest of the dream was just arranging to sell my house and move north, and settling into a nice little cottage up there.

It gave me a taste of what I will have in store.
Totally Freudian!!

 

[Nords]

OK, my Freudian friends: let's have it. The dream is almost embarrassingly obvious; when I woke up and thought about it, it left me feeling pretty good.

[-]Sometimes a dream is just a dream.[/-] At least you woke up smiling and not screaming!

So, when are you going to FIRE and re-establish your own life-work balance? I read this great thread in the "Best of" forum about "Just one more year" syndrome...

The other night my spouse dreamt that we were living in the Navy's nursing home for aged anti-submarine warfare officers. AFAIK there's no such thing but it sounded like a pretty scary place.

 

[Rich_by_the_Bay]

So, where are you going to go?

Nice reaction to the dream. I bet it would have been different 10 years ago.

You have no idea... The knowledge that the worst case scenario is acceptable is very liberating.

Uh, oh yeah -- I guess you do have an idea, but you were just smart enough to pull it off at a more tender age.

 

[Rich_by_the_Bay]

[-]Sometimes a dream is just a dream.[/-]
So, when are you going to FIRE and re-establish your own life-work balance? I read this great thread in the "Best of" forum about "Just one more year" syndrome...

I'll go re-read that thread for good measure.

Nords, I am definitely ready to Clyattize. Truth be told, my finances really do call for another year or so for reasonable prudence. All that debt-water under the bridge made it tough to get to where I am now but it's all lining up nicely, just takes time. Oh, for a pension...

 

[Rich_by_the_Bay]

Oh Rich... I had a dream like that too, where I got fired and then realized I was FREE. The rest of the dream was just arranging to sell my house and move north, and settling into a nice little cottage up there.

It gave me a taste of what I will have in store.

Did you surprise yourself by your reaction to the dream, too?

I'd have guessed it would have left me feeling frustrated not to be there yet, but in fact I felt pretty cool about the "situation."

 

[donheff]

You have no idea... The knowledge that the worst case scenario is acceptable is very liberating.

That didn't sound like a worst case scenario Rich. From everything I have read from you I gather you could go afford to RE now - the dream was just a reminder that you are good to go whenever you decide to pull the plug...

Edit: forgot to add the worse case. That would be same dream but when you get home DW tells you that the accounts have been raided and you have no money. But someone called from Humana with a job offer provided you agree to a 10 year contract with them

 

[Rich_by_the_Bay]

Edit: forgot to add the worse case. That would be same dream but when you get home DW tells you that the accounts have been raided and you have no money. But someone called from Humana with a job offer provided you agree to a 10 year contract with them

AAAAHHHHHHRRRRRRGGG!!!

 

[Nords]

All that debt-water under the bridge made it tough to get to where I am now but it's all lining up nicely, just takes time. Oh, for a pension...

The daughter of a friend is a Navy lieutenant (on an amphibious landing ship) contemplating medical school at govt expense. She's been told that she has what it takes and they want her, but she's having a tough time wrapping her brain around the concept of being obligated out to the 18-year point.

There are worse things than debt...

 

[tightasadrum]

tough issue to consider

Rich, sounds like you've emotionally punched out your time card. Your mind is just waiting for your feet to follow. That's me completely. Here's the problem I see.

For me, if my head's not in it, someone is not as comfortable it the office today. Maybe they're a wee bit upset with me dragging my feet. Big deal. Life is tough.

But for you, mentally disengaged might have life or death consequences. Have you considered this?

****************
Nords, where do I find this ASWO old age place. Maybe there's something there that will allow me to drop the LTC policy and save the money.

 

[Nords]

Nords, where do I find this ASWO old age place. Maybe there's something there that will allow me to drop the LTC policy and save the money.

OK, but I have to warn you that the staff were chasing her down the halls to make her recite the active sonar equation and explain all the terms...

 

[Rich_by_the_Bay]

Rich, sounds like you've emotionally punched out your time card. Your mind is just waiting for your feet to follow. That's me completely. Here's the problem I see.

For me, if my head's not in it, someone is not as comfortable it the office today. Maybe they're a wee bit upset with me dragging my feet. Big deal. Life is tough.

But for you, mentally disengaged might have life or death consequences. Have you considered this?

Great ideas.

It's true, when I'm engaged in patient care (60% or so of my time) there is zero-tolerance for errors or lapses as it should be. Perhaps not surprisingly, that is the part of my work I continue to find the most enjoyable and rewarding. It's the kind of adrenalin I thrive on. Hard to explain, but for me it's not really stressful (maybe doing and teaching it for 33 years helps).

My plan is to bottle that part, re-arrange it into a part-time no-nights / no-weekend commitment with few or no administrative responsibilities. Doubtful that this exact scenario will be available but anything close will be great.

 

[unclemick]

Hmmm - no wonder I got the Curmudgeon certificate.

No dream - I actually WAS fired/layed off/made redundant. In a waking state - it still took a while to mentally shift from unemployed to ER even though I kinda 'knew' the numbers worked before I went out the door.

You are in a good place - - meditate on your subconscious!

heh heh heh - Next - get your bellybutton to say it's okay.

 

[simple girl]

Great ideas.
My plan is to bottle that part, re-arrange it into a part-time no-nights / no-weekend commitment with few or no administrative responsibilities. Doubtful that this exact scenario will be available but anything close will be great.

Ever think of doing visits at a nursing home? I doubt it would give you the adrenaline rush, but you may still find it rewarding, and you could arrange it to be part-time and weekdays only (although you may have to be on-call for approval to send pts to the ER, etc.).

 

[Rich_by_the_Bay]

Ever think of doing visits at a nursing home? I doubt it would give you the adrenaline rush, but you may still find it rewarding, and you could arrange it to be part-time and weekdays only (although you may have to be on-call for approval to send pts to the ER, etc.).

That's good and well-needed work but, alas, those kinds of things are not that simple. There's malpractice insurance, billing services, Medicaid and Medicare, maintenance of auditable medical records, almost below-cost reimbursement from Medicaid, coverage when gone, keeping a phone and pager -- almost feels like work .

But a part-time job with my current employer (as well as one or two other possibilities) takes care of all that and pays handsomely at my level of senioritiy; plus, I like it - so that's the most likely.

Other fun possibilities down the road: locum tenens where you travel on assignments all over the country filling in temporarily for other doctors (agency handles the details and insurance), peace corps, prison medicine, telemedicine (like video chats with patients in remote areas), volunteer teaching and free clinic sessions. Some people know me in my field and I could lecture, too. No shortage of things to do once I get to that point.

Gosh, I'm getting psyched again just thinking about it!

 

[Meadbh]

Great ideas.

It's true, when I'm engaged in patient care (60% or so of my time) there is zero-tolerance for errors or lapses as it should be. Perhaps not surprisingly, that is the part of my work I continue to find the most enjoyable and rewarding. It's the kind of adrenalin I thrive on. Hard to explain, but for me it's not really stressful (maybe doing and teaching it for 33 years helps).

My plan is to bottle that part, re-arrange it into a part-time no-nights / no-weekend commitment with few or no administrative responsibilities. Doubtful that this exact scenario will be available but anything close will be great.

Rich, what happened to that other w*rk alternative that was on the horizon afew months ago?

 

[RetireeRobert]

I then went home and told my wife, who surprised me by saying simply, "So where should we go?"

OK, my Freudian friends: let's have it. The dream is almost embarrassingly obvious; when I woke up and thought about it, it left me feeling pretty good.

So is there something in your subconscious telling you your DW is ready (read that "eager") for you to get throught that "year or so" to FIRE?

Your dream says your wife "surprised you" with her statement, but maybe you really know she is with you all the way.

 

[lazygood4nothinbum]

OK, my Freudian friends: let's have it...The dream is almost embarrassingly obvious; when I woke up and thought about it, it left me feeling pretty good

as well it should.

sorry, but more of a jungian here.

dream yogis view non-lucid dreaming as three types, essentially delineated by time. they are: dreams sorting out past karma, dreams reflecting recent events and dreams indicating future possibilities.

but i always say the dreamer is the best interpreter of the dream. as you seem to be checking yourself i offer the following...

as to the dream elements according to zolar's encyclopedia & dictionary of dreams (for entertainment purposes only):

dreaming of work indicates "important and very beneficial event to come" while being at work suggests "success will be yours."

being at a race track means you "will have happy days ahead of you."

having colleagues means you "will have litigation", while dealing with colleagues indicates some "big business gossip."

dreaming of being fired by an employer indicates that "a mystery will be solved."

dreaming of your own wife indicates that you "must control your passions."

most important to me, when studying a dream, rather than the dream elements (which i find interesting mostly in terms of amusement) is to pay close attention to the behavior of your dream character. was your dream character a coward or did your dream character act honorably? does you dream character behave in a way that reflects how you see yourself? how you want to be? are you comfortable with your dream character or would you want to make any changes? because all of that is within your reach. for your dream character, is, after all, all yours.

 

[Rich_by_the_Bay]

So is there something in your subconscious telling you your DW is ready (read that "eager") for you to get throught that "year or so" to FIRE?

Your dream says your wife "surprised you" with her statement, but maybe you really know she is with you all the way.

Hadn't looked at it from that angle. I think you're right: she's with me though a bit uneasy about possibly cutting back a bit when the times call for it. Also, she's a realtor and it has not been a good year for her business.

But I'd guess her reaction would be pretty much the same in real life.

 

[Rich_by_the_Bay]

because all of that is within your reach. for your dream character, is, after all, all yours.

Putting all the elements together, looks like after a very important event, I will have happy days ahead; big business gossip will lead to the solving of a big mystery, and I'd better control my passions when that happens.

Works for me. Except the "controlling my passions" part.

Thanks for the dream analysis - while I don't know anything about that type of thing, there are usually grains of truth embedded inside.

 

[lazygood4nothinbum]

again, i'm not real into elements but rather actions.

as to the elements and how they might be interpreted, there is benefit to vagueness and so, not mine, but the source i referenced might be somewhat fuzzy yet somehow on target. both a "beneficial event" & that "success will be yours" could relate to either your current position at work or early retirement under consideration. that there are "happy days ahead of you" could refer either to pending retirement or satisfaction with the work at hand. i don't know what to make of the litigation (possible) silliness but the "business gossip" might very well be your own wondering of what collegues at work might think of you were you to surrender your practice. the "mystery to be solved" could very well simply be your own pending decision.

as to the bit of "controling your passions", that could speak simply to the inner conflict likely existing and that you might be dealing with concerning your desire to retire vs justification in your own mind of having chosen to work your field of endeavor which, in light of retirement, brings into question: does retiring deny the validity & history of my chosen career?

does giving up being a doctor invalidate my having been a doctor?

taking the high road always leave more room to fall.