Stress Dream

I haven't had a stress dream in years... Why would I? I'm retired?!! Very little to stress about!

In my teaching years, from mid-August to mid-September, as I transitioned into my new teaching schedule, I'd have stress dreams nightly. Once I inquired: did other teachers have them as well? To my surprise, many of us had very similar dreams that woke us up in a panic...

I hardly ever think of school any more, so I was shocked, a few nights ago, to wake up from a very stressful dream. In my teaching years, my dreams would invariably involve my getting lost... I'm walking around in the halls, looking for my classroom - or for a bathroom. (If I eventually find a bathroom, it has no door... and strangers keep walking in...) So I leave in a panic, knowing I'm going to get into trouble for not being in the classroom I'm supposed to be in.

My recent dream was completely different. In it I was taking an exam, but I couldn't read it... the print was too small! Though when someone asked me to explain a question, I was able to do that easily. But somehow I couldn't sit down and write the answer in the exam!

Why this dream?! I wondered after waking up... Did the nightmare have to do with my eyesight, with the fact that I need reading glasses to decipher small print?

Was it caused by having lunch with a few former colleagues and being reminded of school?

Was it a book I'm reading, where a man - an English instructor - is struggling with emotional issues from his past?

Was it the images of people escaping flooding in the Houston area, on last night's news?

I have no idea - but I woke up in a panic and it took me a few minutes to calm myself down again!