The Umbrella Effect

One night I had a very symbolic dream that really stuck with me, I'm not good at remembering dreams (although they are often very kick ass) but this one stuck with me.

I was in the middle of the forest, it's pitch dark and there is no light to be seen. My eyes adjust to the darkness over time and I am able to make out several trails before me. Not knowing where I came from, where I am or even where I'm going it would seem to me it makes no difference which trail I pick. I start walking down a random path and it begins to pour rain all. It slowly become colder and colder and doubt about my trail choice starts to spread within my mind. I continue to walk only because I have two choices... walk or stay put, but staying put wont get me anywhere so I walk, step after step, through mud puddles and cold streams crossing my path. I see something in a distance and as I come close to it, I find out that is another person. I look at his face and what is see is the face of someone who has given up in his search for light and warmth. At this point I don't know what to do, I can barely walk myself but on the other hand I don't want to leave him alone; I do what feels right and pick him up and carry him with me, this ultimately slows me down due too frequent rests and lack of energy and stamina. I eventually come across another person, this time it was a girl, she was still walking slowly but had an expression on her face that said she was close to giving up, I ask her to join me on my journey and she accepts, just having someone to walk and talk with seems to give both me and her hope as we both carry the first guy I met. Everyone I come across in this dream is worn out and it shows in their eyes. Theres not much a person can do in such a situation, I can only carry so many people along with me, so I look around and surprisingly enough I find an old umbrella; this umbrella isn't going to solve the mystery of what were doing here or why it's so damn cold and dark, but its enough to keep the rain off me and those around me. I hold the umbrella up for me and my friends, the umbrella keeps the rain off us, this in turn helps us become dry, and although we won't feel warmth, we become less cold, making our journey into the unknown a bit more tolerable.

So if you find yourself in the rain, lost, cold and frustrated, find yourself an umbrella and hold it up for you and your friends.

“He was so benevolent, so merciful a man that, in his mistaken passion, he would have held an umbrella over a duck in a shower of rain” - Douglas Jerrold