On May 9th, 1980, the twenty one thousand, eight hundred and seventy seven foot Sunshine Skyway Bridge was struck by a freighter, knocking out the center of the bridge. Thirty five years ago, thirty five people were killed when the bridge collapsed. My great-grandmother, who we lovingly called GiGi was on that bridge. I remember the excitement of my family as we heard the news and what seemed like an eternity later as we learned that GiGi was gratefully still alive and well. It is always interesting to me to learn the stories that form the psyche of a human being.
I love being up in the air, but for years I was quite frightened to be on bridges. My father is one of the best drivers I know and as a child the family and I used to be driven around to many different places (including locations that took us over the Sunshine Skyway Bridge). Still, the dreams found their way into my nights. I dreamed often as I became old enough to drive that I was driving on the Skyway and either lost control of the car, flew off the side, or had dreams where I was on a bridge that turned into a pier that turned into a dock that deadends in the ocean. Not the ideal Sunday drive.
The recurring theme lasted with me for many years. Once I had the dream and I was driving on a very high, voluptuously curvy bridge bordering on too fast to maintain control of my vehicle. The bridge turns into a pier and then turns into a boardwalk quite close to the surface of the water, and very quickly there is no more surface to drive on, only water and sky. On this occasion, I jumped out of my vehicle as it went over and into the ocean and I sat down at the edge of the dock where it met the sea. My friend Somer was there with some other friends of hers that I did not know and they were all mermaids. The mermaids and I laughed and joke and spoke of pleasant things. I feel that the dream was my way of facing a fear that began in my childhood.
Dreams are avenues of the soul to face our fears, conquer our demons, explore new territory, etc. Since that dream where I met with the mermaids, my dreams of bridges are more secure. I now find myself driving on curvy bridges, often times at high speeds, sometimes bordering losing control but that is as intense as it gets these days.
My doctorate program at Pacifica Graduate Institute will focus on Depth Psychology which relies heavily on the works of Carl Jung and Sigmund Freud. Like Jung, I love the power of dreams.
Based on ancient Native American lore (in which I am part) I make dream weavers. Unlike dream catchers, these are designed to invoke the dream realm and open pathways to our dreamworld to allow spiritual guidance and personal growth. My personal dream weaver hangs above my bed complete with a plethora of feathers which were given to me or landed in my lap (or at my feet) thanks to Mother Nature.
Today, my friends Shana and Jorges son was celebrating his first birthday. The party forced me to drive over the Skyway. I don't believe I have ever controlled the wheel driving over the bridge. I have been a passenger many times, but I do not recall every being the driver. It was liberating and the views from this very tall bridge were astounding. Would that I could have taken some photographs.
The collapse in 1980 saw over 1200 feet of the bridge collapsing as thirty five people plummeted over 150 feet to their watery grave. We develop so many constructs in the name of progress in this modern world. As a child all I knew was the bridges would not necessarily deliver you to the other side.
Today as I crossed Tampa Bay, I was swept away hovering gingerly between the waking world and the dream world. I have had the dream at least a thousand times, and every time I wake with something new, something reborn, something that alters my awareness.
We have the power to augment and grow, live and flow in this world within a world within a world within a dream.
You just have to believe. You have the power to be free.
~Live. Love. Laugh.
and most importantly,
~~dream~~
RAin.
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