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County calls for local control of federal lands ... Nurse sentenced after running over boyfriend ... Medford school administrators get pay boost ... County calls for local control of federal lands ... Nurse sentenced after running over boyfriend ... Frank Talk: It was all just a dream By Frank Mulligan Wicked Local MailTribune.com By Frank Mulligan Wicked Local Posted Nov. 28, 2014 @ 12:01 pm Updated Nov 28, 2014 at 12:48 PM By Frank Mulligan Wicked Local Posted Nov. 28, 2014 @ 12:01 pm Updated Nov 28, 2014 at 12:48 PM » Social News Almost since the time man learned to enjoy a good night’s sleep (roughly the time he stopped worrying about being awakened by saber-tooth tigers), he has contemplated his dreams. Can dreams tell us about our inner selves? Can we program and control our dreams? Can dreams foretell the future? And if they can foretell the future, can I get a line on the Pats-Packers game in time to get a bet down? The world’s greatest prophets, scholars, scientists and Magic Eight Ball enthusiasts have all attempted to interpret the meaning of dreams. And throughout history there have been instances where dreams have played a role in momentous events, for good or ill. For instance, Caesar’s wife Calpurnia had a dream recorded by noted historian Plutarch that she was mourning Caesar’s bloody death. She awoke and recommended Caesar skip his appointments that day, and maybe take in a gladiatorial bout or grab a bite at one of the new wine-and-cheese shops around the Appian Way. Caesar, of course, chose to ignore his wife’s warnings and went to meet Brutus and his followers in the Senate. He parted from his wife with these fateful words, “Dreams, shmeems. Brutus is a good kid, I tell you. He’s a little quiet, but a good kid. I’ll catch you later, hon. We’ll grab some bread and circuses.” Needless to say, Caesar did not return, and his wife had to go to the chariot races solo that night. Then there was the famous case of Elias Howe, whose dream helped him invent the sewing machine. He had a dream cannibals were preparing to cook him. He noticed that their spearheads were going up and down, up and down, as the cannibals celebrated the fact that Howe not only looked tasty but tender as well. He also noticed a small hole in the spearheads. He awoke and the idea of adding a hole to the pneumatic apparatus to insert the thread was the dream’s byproduct. A second byproduct of the dream was Howe’s resolution to stop eating hummus before going to bed. “I like coming up with inventions,” he told family members. “It’s the part about being eaten by cannibals I can’t stand.” According to historians, Howe retired each night thereafter with a glass of warm milk and a raisin cookie. All of which brings us to a dream I had recently. I’m not ashamed to seek counsel from those with an insight into dreams and their meanings. The interpretation of this quite vivid dream just might be hugely important. The dream went like this: I was standing next to my old station wagon, the car I got rid of 25 years ago. On the far side of the car was a sleeping polar bear. A really big sleeping polar bear. I had the feeling there was a device in the car’s trunk that would allow me to ward off the polar bear, should he awaken. Though my station wagon didn’t have a trunk, in the dream it did. That’s got to be highly significant. I opened the trunk only to discover another sleeping polar bear within. I tried to close the trunk but found that this sleeping polar bear was now in the way, and any attempt to close the trunk would awaken him. I saw my childhood home was behind me. I ran to the door and quickly went inside, hurrying to shut and bolt the door before the sleeping polar bear awoke. I succeeded in bolting the door only to discover that the room held yet another sleeping polar bear. I awoke with a start and, like Howe, resolved to stop eating hummus at bedtime. Those with an interpretation of my dream’s deeper meaning are welcome to contact me, particularly if you think it means I’m about to come into a large sum of money. Wareham Courier editor Frank Mulligan can be reached at [email protected]. By Frank Mulligan Wicked Local MailTribune.com By Frank Mulligan Wicked Local Posted Nov. 28, 2014 @ 12:01 pm Updated Nov 28, 2014 at 12:48 PM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. calendar Connect with MailTribune.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services Home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Announcements Obituaries Story ideas Since you asked Alerts Email Alerts RSS Feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. 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