Dreaming

This past week I've had a couple strange dreams. The one that was the most perplexing happened as I am kind of considering going back to school to complete my undergraduate degree (something West coasters consider less important than East coasters). I'm paid a reasonable amount as an Executive Assistant and the hours are great but I'm still missing something.

With the possibility that X company might pay for my education, I am weighing all of my options for what kind of degree would fulfill me personally and provide me with a real education, while at the same time prepare me for a new job within GE. As a person that has spent my career in an Administrative capacity (I've dabbled in events marketing and barista to name a few stints), my options feel limited. This is the United States of America - I should not feel limited but alas my self-esteem gives me a punch in the belly and I relent: Communications or Marketing. Now, both of those avenues would be challenging and interesting and would even move me to the next level in my career but the thing is, I feel I could really learn those required skills 'on the job' and I'm not sure I really would want to commit a lot of classroom hours to either one. My college degree should really give ME something aside from teaching me how to learn. It is about knowledge, real meaty information that only those in your field or people with that specific interest would get. Whether it is an accountant or a Spanish literature major, the degree topic has to be a noun not an adjective.

Thursday night I went to sleep after reading a bit from Landscape Architecture (sexy!). As I woke up in the morning, I was having the following dream:
I was at a dinner with people I work with in a large room that was almost resembling an old banquet hall with round tables filled with my co-workers. There were over a hundred of us eating, talking and drinking and it was very relaxed. Someone stood up and said "OK everyone can I have your attention?, Julia's husband is outside of the room but refuses to enter until we all have our burkas on." People started pulling out cloths of satin in all ranges of color and covered their faces and some covered their hair. I looked around in disbelief "Did you know we were doing this?" I asked the guy next to me "Yeah, of course, didn't you bring yours? My wife and I might have an extra, let us look..." Sure enough, he pulled a black mesh veil out of his wifes handbag and gave it to me. I put it on and then immediately ripped it off "Who IS this guy and why should I cover myself for him?" I yelled out. I heard a "sshhh, Kelli, he is Muslim and refuses to join us unless all of the women are veiled". "Umm, that is fine if I'm going to his home but give me a fucking break! I refuse to make myself less of an equal because this guy 'refuses' to enter until I become passive. If he cannot suppress his own sexual thoughts about me or any other woman, that is his own issue but I cannot condone his behavior in a public place. I would never ask him to say a Christian prayer prior to our meal so why should I pull on a burka?" Another voice says "Kelli, you're over reacting, just do it so we can enjoy the evening". I saw myself storm out of the room with doors flying and saw him standing in front of me. I turned around and spoke loudly enough for everyone to hear "As long as there are people demanding that we conform to their religious beliefs outside of their private homes, there will never be Peace on Earth. It is only until we accept others as they are without judgement and keep our faiths within our heart and to ourselves, that there will be Peace." I left the room... At this point, I woke up and was really pissed off and realized what my degree is going to be: International Social Studies with an emphasis on Womens issues. How easy was that?