78

Seems like a dumb question, unrealistic.  One does not buy dreams. Besides, there are different kinds of dreams: dreams that are hopes; daydreams or reveries; the dreams of sleep, triggered by events in the waking life. Yet the one question does make us think a little.  

1. What hope-dreams do you have? Say, dreams of the lives your parents, siblings, spouse, children, grandchildren could have and should have, dreams of a better world, dreams for your own future. These are hope dreams, maybe realistic, maybe not, but what can you do to bring them about? Gifts? Time? Help? 
   
   
2. And your reveries, your ‘day dreams’ as they are called. Do you dream of things true and beautiful? Of the good? Or do you dream about yourself, the center of things? Do you imagine yourself being recognized? Acknowledged? Admired? And on and on. Alas, it is not uncommon.
   
   
3. And, finally, real dreams, those mysteries of the mind, those crazy, weird kaleidoscopes where time and space get pulled and stretched and often vanish when you wake up. They can be funny. Or terrible. Think of the dreams of soldiers suffering from PTSD or others who have experienced trauma of some sort. Think of nightmares.

But back to Beddoes. What was his question? What dreams would you buy if you could? What would you hope for if there were a chance that your dreams might come true?