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Senior Moments

Category: General / Topics: Hopes & Dreams

Dreams: A Poem

by Dan Seagren

Posted: November 10, 2013

There are dreams, visions, nightmares, hallucinations, pipedreams, daydreams…

There are dreams, visions, nightmares, hallucinations, pipe dreams, daydreams, imaginations and so on. At times it is difficult to separate one from the other or to interchange definitions to fit. I rarely dream, and have virtually no visions but following surgery a few years ago, I hallucinated for 4 nights with the most colorful, dramatic scenes imaginable. That has never happened before or since.

Now, as a senior, I have my moments but not necessarily what we typically think of as Senior Moments. These, if you have been reading this column, range all over the place. Rightfully, they may not fit the definition (if there is one) of senior moments just as there may not be adolescent moments or junior moments.

I suppose I could be considered a dreamer as I rummage here and there for something to write. Basically, I write as an octogenarian whether I like it or not. Therefore, there could be a generation gap. And because I am a male, there could be bias. And because when I was employed, I was an Independent to produce (hopefully) impartiality. Did it work? Maybe some of the time.

If dreams are involuntary [a series of images, ideas, emotions, and sensations occurring involuntarily in the mind during certain stages of sleep], perhaps we can do little or nothing about them except forget them, talk about them and interpret them, wisely or otherwise. Maybe we should stick to day-dreams or pipe dreams.

Yet there are other definitions of dreams we could consider while we’re at it. A wild fancy or hope; a condition or an aspiration; something that is exceptionally gratifying, excellent or beautiful like our car runs like a dream. Then there are verbs, adverbs and transitive and intransitive verbs and on and on.

We have just finished celebrating the 237th birthday of our nation. In closing, let me ask: what are your hopes and dreams for the next year? Or the next 13 when we celebrate the 250th? (This reflection was written in July 2013)



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Dan Seagren is an active retiree whose writings reflect his life as a Pastor, author of several books, and service as a Chaplain in a Covenant Retirement Community.

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Posted: November 10, 2013   Accessed 116 times

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