In Students' Dreams

Cliff Williams
Department of Philosophy
Trinity College of Trinity International University
Deerfield, Illinois 60015

If you are a teacher, you will undoubtedly be in some of your students’ dreams. Here are two I have been in, as recounted by the students who had them.


Food Fight

"I dreamed that I went back to my old high school. I was in the lunchroom getting my lunch. At the end of the line there was a plate of corn dogs, and you were there. You went to grab a corn dog, which I know you would never do because you’re vegetarian, but you grabbed for it and I grabbed for it, because there was only one left. I had the better angle on it, but I let you have it. You looked like you really needed it. Actually, I wanted to wait for the new batch.

"I watched you go sit down. You sat down across from a few students and beside a few students. You were right in the middle of everything, and you had a big smile on your face. You reached into your pocket and pulled out little shavings of white chocolate. I don’t know what they were, but they looked like white chocolate shavings. With your eyebrows raised you dusted the person in front of you with the white shavings. The person looked at you as if to say, “What are you doing?! Are you serious??”

"Instead of apologizing or trying to make things better, you just sat there, and the smile never left your face. You went into your pocket again and you did the exact same thing—you dusted the person with the shavings. He couldn’t believe that you did it again. He sat there in disbelief and watched as you went into your pocket yet again and dusted the person next to him.

"The other person wasn’t as compassionate or understanding as the first person, because he took his mashed potatoes in his hand and threw them at you. So you had mashed potatoes all over your face. And you still were smiling. You went into your pocket once again and again you dusted the person who threw the potatoes at you.

"At this point, the first person took his corn and threw it at you. You had potatoes and corn all over you. A whole congregation of students were now watching to see what would happen next. And somewhere, out of nowhere, everyone decided to start throwing food everywhere to everyone. That’s how you incited a food fight at my old high school."

On the Floor

"I fell asleep while studying for the philosophy final. I dreamt that I walked into your classroom, and as I was walking to my seat you gasped for air and fell to the floor. I couldn’t believe it! The worst part was that the entire class had calm looks on their faces and didn’t make a move.

"I started yelling at the top of my lungs for someone to call 911, but I had to take matters into my own hands when no one budged. As soon as I shakily dialed 911, you opened your eyes and smiled!! I quickly hung up the phone before the dispatcher came on the line. As I sat back down, I said to myself, “I knew that would happen.” (I’m not sure why.) I woke up then and laughed because I can see you doing something like that, but maybe not as extreme."

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