The Evolution of Anxiety Dreams

Last night I dreamed that I went back to my last job just to visit and make sure that all the cases were going well. I spoke to my boss, who said "What are you doing here? You need to leave." I explained to him that I just wanted to help, that I wasn't there to ask for money or anything and he told me in no uncertain terms to leave before someone saw me there. Needless to say, I woke up feeling, well, rejected.

This is a new variation on my anxiety dreams. Usually when I had an anxiety-laden dream, I could depend on the same scenario happening:

Before law school, the dream took place in my high school. I was there for the first time on the last day of school, couldn't find my locker, and when I finally got someone in the office to tell me where my locker was, I couldn't remember the combination. I was late for class, and it was an exam day, and I had not attended class at all that semester. It usually was a typing class studying some type of governmental history.

During and after law school, the dream evolved to encompass my new fears: being unprepared for class. This variation of anxiety dream took place in Evidence class. It was 10 minutes before class started and I had not even purchased my case book yet. So I was standing in line at the bookstore, trying to read the assignment, purchase the book and get to class. There were always at least a dozen undergrad students ahead of me in line. I was always late to class, and when I arrived, had to sit in a weird designated area that was under construction and I had to wear a raincoat. Don't ask me why. I have no idea.

Anyway, as you can tell, anxiety about the bar exam is even creeping into my peaceful slumber.