Dream Zone

By Lauri Quinn Lowenberg

Thursday, May 22, 2008 | midnight

I had a dream last night that I was in a mall and set my purse down to look at something. A man came up to me and started making small talk. I got a bad vibe like he was distracting me. I looked down and my purse was gone! I ran toward the entrance of the store to find the person, but there were too many people, and I knew it would be impossible. It was at this point when I woke up.

–Julie, 41, Wausau, WI

Lauri: To your dreaming mind, your purse (or for men it is the wallet) symbolizes your sense of self, your credibility and your self-worth, because that is where we keep our IDs, credit cards and money. In your dream your purse was stolen, which means someone else is getting the credit or recognition you deserve. The crowd of people in your dream suggests you feel you are not able to stand out in a crowd. Were you recently up for a promotion but didn’t get it? Or was there some other situation where you were hoping to get noticed but weren’t?

Julie replies: I‘m surprised how on-the-mark this is. Recently I have felt that my role at work and at home has not been very important. I’ve always been one to love the limelight, but lately I feel my accomplishments aren’t noticed or appreciated and that I am losing the confidence I usually have. There are so many talented people around me, and I feel it’s hard to measure up, let alone stand out.