Bicycling Near Hot Springs
3/14/84
I am riding a bicycle down back roads near Hot Springs, Arkansas. I am trying to find my lake house, which as been moved here. I pass a party that is loud. It’s breaking up because someone called the cops because of noise. I want to get over to a main highway but there are only dirt roads, so I have to backtrack to avoid them. Celeste is with me. I am glad she is getting a good workout.
Associations
In about 1978 I owned a mobile home west of Little Rock on an acre. I would bicycle about 9 miles down what was known as the “Old Hot Springs Highway” to the county line where a girl’s correctional center was located. That’s where my graduate school practicum was located, three days a week. Celeste was a black and tan mixed breed that I raised and that moved out to Phoenix with me. I’ve never been much for the party scene, not comfortable with either small talk or beer.
Predicted Preferences
Most Accepting Character: Hot Springs
Least Accepting Character: Group of People
Most Preferred Character: Bicycle
Most Rejected Character: Cops
Most Preferred Action: avoid them
Most Rejected Action: backtrack
Most Preferred Feeling: glad
Most Rejected Feeling: none
Sociomatrix Commentary
Dream Self: I like being out in the country. Hills, trees. It feels good to bike, less hassle, traffic. Perhaps I am looking for comfort, leisure, relaxation, good feelings. This party is loud. I can’t take the shortest route to where I’m going because I’m on my bike. I’m glad that Celeste is having a good time. She’s keeping up well.
Bicycle: We make a good, natural team. I can help him relax and be healthy too.
Back Roads: We like the peace being preserved. To take the shortest route he will have to slow down even more and go on foot. He’ll have to exercise even more. But he’s unlikely to take it, because it doesn’t make sense to him that the slowest route would be the shortest route.
Hot Springs: I’m rural, peaceful, relaxing. I’m glad he’s using me.
Lake House: He needs me. I’m not sure I’ve really moved. He may be looking for me in the wrong place. But there’s plenty of enjoyment/relaxation where he is.
Group of People: We’re just having a good time. But we’re through anyway.
Cops: We’re glad we’re not really needed.
Main Highway: He’s searching in the wrong place. The lake house isn’t here. He needs to keep his bicycle and Celeste off me.
Dirt Roads: We’re remote and relaxing. He’s preferring comfort over effort and direction.
Celeste: I love this exercise! All these smells! This is great! I get to be outdoors and with my human! It’s wonderful! Let’s go down the dirt roads!
Comment: There is disagreement about where Dream Self is and the worth of his efforts and direction.
Dream Commentary
If you could change this dream in any way that you wanted, as long as it respected the rights of all fellow dream group members, how would you change it?
Bicycle: Stay on back roads. Walk some if you want. Just enjoy. Stop looking and trying to go somewhere.
Back Roads: Ditto.
Hot Springs: Ditto.
Lake House : Enjoy wherever you are.
Group of People: We will quieten down
Cops: Good.
Main Highway: I will take care of business while you enjoy.
Dirt Roads: Use and enjoy me.
Celeste : This is great! Do more!
Dreamage
I am riding a bicycle down back roads near Hot Springs, Arkansas. I am having as much fun as I would if I were at my lake house. I pass a party in a house, but the people aren’t disturbing anyone. I am very pleased to be away from traffic, enjoying myself. Celeste is with me. I am glad she is getting a good workout.
Waking Commentary
If you were this dreamer and were dealing with his waking issues – money, relationships, fears, career choices, physical health, and spiritual development – would you do anything differently? If so, what?
Bicycle: Your exercise and sexual continence help to put you in touch with your natural self. Continue. Avoid pressures to speed up; do not be distracted by the loud and garish.
Back Roads: Ditto. Do it more, but stop looking and just enjoy.
Dream Self: Continue present exercise regime; continue sexual continence; resist impatience; exercise even more by meditating (back roads) – by foot; go out in the country with Celeste.
Action Plan
exercise
continence
patience
meditation
country with Celeste
Actual Preferences
Most Accepting Character: Celeste
Least Accepting Character: Group of People
Most Preferred Character: Hot Springs
Most Rejected Character: Group of People
Most Preferred Action: riding
Most Rejected Action: loud
Most Preferred Feeling: glad
Most Rejected Feeling: none
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Sociogram Commentary
This is essentially a synthesis intrasocial group. One action out of eight, Loud, is rejected; that is all. Here we find a synthesis pattern associated with the choosing of peace, tranquility, naturalness, the path less traveled, and the eschewing of the noisy, active, artificial, and the common approach. Most preferring is Dream Self and those things he loves. He loves Celeste for her spontaneity and affection; he loves the Lake House for its regenerative solitude. Least preferring are those dream group members associated with order, structure, and authority, on the one hand, and a superficial sort of gaiety, on the other. But even they like and respect their fellows. The members happen to line up on the acceptance axis in a progression from most valued by Dream Self to least valued at the bottom, although there was no conscious attempt to make this happen.
Waking awareness is unaware of these forces and their preferences, as indicated by his inability to accurately predict their preference placement.
On the form axis, Hot Springs is most preferred, for some reason. I certainly did not expect it to be the most preferred dream group member. My associations with it have always been good – camping and boating in the nearby Ouachitas as a kid, leisurely vacations. Traditionally, the name has had medicinal/healing associations for some people. Back Roads is the type of character one would be tempted to leave out of a sociomatrix in order to shorten it, but it turns out to be highly preferred and distinct from Dirt Roads in its placement. Again, we are served notice that we are poor evaluators of the values of our inner world.
On the process axis, conflict exists between riding and exercising, at one extreme, and loud on the other. Riding is a solitary activity involving balance. Exercise has always been a non-group process for me; even when I jog with others I do my own thing.
The associated feeling promoting group synthesis is Glad. There is no confusion, anger, sadness, or fear in this group. The overall feeling here is one of support/approval at finding my own path, my own internal balance.