Tuesday, October 6, 2009

Dream - Tornado at Train Depot

Setting:  Old buildings, Train Station, Restaurant
Props:  Tornado, Train, storm shelter
Characters:  Father-in-law, brother, wife, cisc. others

I was with a rather large group of people going out to dinner in an old cow-town-like building.  The setting was much like a train museum I visited a couple of years ago in Western Kentucky.  I'm not clear on if these were co-workers, family, friends, or a mixture.  Out the back door of the restaurant was a train depot.  It was some sort of special occasion and they were running an antique train with passenger cars to celebrate.  My father-in-law and I were looking a storm shelter across the tracks.  He had built it.  I was jokingly telling him that the only level part was the roof that I helped build.  Then we began looking at the sky.  I commented on how fast the clouds were moving and in many different directions.  I told him that that this was conducive to produce tornadoes.  About that time, my brother called my cell phone.  He told me that a Tornado was at their house and that the storm would be in my area in about an hour.  We looked at the sky and saw debris flying around (tree limbs, leaves, kites).  It was beginning to get dark and windy.  The train pulled up and a few people in my party decided to go on a ride.  We weren't sure where the train was going nor if it was a round trip but they decided to ride it anyway.  I remained with my father-in-law.  The two of us were scanning the skyline looking for tornadoes and suddenly a big one appeared and was heading right for us.  The train returned and the passenger car containing my associates flipped over, off of the tracks.  My wife came to the door of the main building and yelled for us to hurry and get inside.  We were running up to the house and I realized I didn't have time to make it inside, so I dove into a corner on the porch, squatted down and covered my head.  The wind was beating down on me. 

Note:  I have always heard that tornado dreams were a sign of change coming into one's life.  And it is the one symbol that seemed pretty consistent in my past dream journals.  My wife is expecting another baby.  I'm employed in a good job but looking for another job.  It does seem that I am about to experience change.  The fact that my brother had experienced the tornado before me is interesting.  I wonder if he is about to encounter a huge life change as well.  And, I found it interesting that my associates who hopped on the antiquated train wrecked.  To me this means that they went the traditional route and as a result wound up in trouble.... that perhaps I shouldn't be riding the train to no-where (my current job?).