Buffets

Date: 1/14/2024

John H (KK), Elizabeth W, Laura T and I are sharing a cab to a meeting at the W Centre for the Division. I agree to pay the driver. He is French. The bill is $1,500 and he adds an $800 tip, too much to claim for our expenses. I ask if he can reduce the tip and he makes it $400. Still too much but I pay. I volunteer to do the expenses. I like sorting forms, so exciting. I ask KK where everyone came from because I got in last. KK was at the hospital; LT at the courts at Sheppard and Yonge; EW at the LTC Home on G Island and then me at the University. Lots of kms there. Maybe it will be OK. There are buffet tables everywhere at W., on the stage, on the side by the windows, outside the front doors, and in a drop-floor square in front of the podium. We are cleaning the old food out of them and ordering new food. Samosas and salad. Lots, maybe for 2,000 people. Our new president is discussing the music, a song written for the past president that our group has been given usage of for the past year or two. I find it dull. While waiting, I wander through the University grounds next door (not my University). I am in a wheel chair. Some professors force shut the elevator door before I can get on and I hurl insults at them down the shift. I have to go down on a lift with no doors like a dumb waiter. I invited Elaine to a meeting about investments but I've decided not to go. It's too late to tell her because it's already 2:00. I hope she enjoys it and try to imagine she will, but I am pretty sure she was just going so she could see me. Our lunch meeting is on G Island. EW remarks that the seniors home will be full of simple country folk, but I am confused because the island population is primarily Indigenous. We arrive at the home and are immediately ushered into a dining hall. Someone takes my coat. There are four tables: three with seniors and an empty one by the door for us. There are only 3 or 4 chairs at our table. They only have so many chairs so we must wait for the old people to finish eating. I want to talk to the old people but it is awkward because they are sitting and we are standing. Our table is separate. We should be mixed in. I am with John H. He introduces himself to an old man who shakes his hand but does not speak. The others just stare. There are two buffet tables. One for the old people with the usual institutional fare. Another is for us, with piles of sliced roasted beef, potatoes, roasted vegetables. I am not supposed to eat this kind of heart attack food. I take a plate and start scooping the fluffy potatoes, white, buttery, and orange from the squash that's buried inside. As I spoon more squash onto my pile, a half squash rind falls out of the potato mountain onto the table below. Whoops. I have taken way too much. I put half back. The old people stare at us. They understand we are guests, but they wish they want roast beef, too.

AI generated interpretation This dream seems to be reflecting various aspects related to social dynamics, roles, and a sense of inclusion or exclusion. The dream begins with the dreamer and a group of individuals sharing a cab to a meeting, where the dreamer agrees to pay the French cab driver a bill of $1,500. This may symbolize a sense of responsibility or taking charge of a situation. However, there is a concern about the excessive tip, representing a worry about exceeding boundaries or limitations in terms of expenses. This could indicate a desire to stay within practical and manageable boundaries. The dreamer volunteers to do the expenses and expresses excitement about sorting forms. This may suggest a level of enjoyment or satisfaction from organizing and structuring information in waking life. It could indicate a need for order and control in the dreamer's life. Discussing where everyone came from and the distances traveled might represent a focus on personal contexts, experiences, and backgrounds. This could reflect a curiosity about others and a desire for understanding or connection. However, the mention of "Maybe it will be OK" could suggest some lingering uncertainties or doubts about the situation. The appearance of buffet tables throughout the dream might symbolize choices, abundance, and the opportunity for indulgence. Cleaning the old food out of the buffet tables and ordering new food could represent a refresh or renewal of options and possibilities. The mention of samosas and salad may imply a mix of different flavors and preferences. However, the dreamer finds the discussion about the music dull, indicating a lack of interest in certain aspects of the current situation. Wandering through an unknown university while in a wheelchair might symbolize a sense of limited mobility or feeling restricted in some aspect of life. The professors forcing shut the elevator door and the insult hurling could represent frustration or the perception of being excluded or overlooked by authority figures. The use of a dumb waiter-like lift could symbolize a decrease in control or agency in certain circumstances. The dreamer then mentions inviting Elaine to a meeting but deciding not to go. The mention of Elaine potentially attending to see the dreamer suggests a desire or hope for genuine connection or affection. However, the dreamer's uncertainty about Elaine's motivations reflects a level of doubt or ambiguity in their relationship. The lunch meeting on G Island reveals a discrepancy between the dreamer's expectations and the reality. Elizabeth's remark about the seniors' home being full of simple country folk contrasts with the dreamer's confusion, as the island population is primarily Indigenous. This discrepancy may symbolize misunderstandings or misconceptions based on assumptions or preconceived notions. The dreamer's arrival at the home and the need to wait for the old people to finish eating could signify a lack of integration or inclusion. The dreamer's desire to interact with the old people, despite the awkwardness of the seating arrangement, suggests a longing for connection, empathy, or understanding with others. The dreamer's observation of the old people's longing for roast beef mirrors the dreamer's own desire for indulgent food, despite acknowledging its potential negative impact on health. This might symbolize the dreamer's internal conflict between desires and practical considerations. Overall, this dream seems to reflect the dreamer's concerns about boundaries, inclusion/exclusion, and the balancing act between personal desires and practical realities. It may indicate a need for connection, understanding, and a sense of belonging in various aspects of the dreamer's waking life.