Tuesday, May 19, 2009

The Baby's Alive!--Guest Post

I would like to introduce guest blogger,Valerie Ipson, mother of 8 with half still at home, 2 sons on missions. Thanks so much for filling in for us!

Valerie is currently writing a YA novel set in a fictional small-town Texas high school. No rain or vampires, but a hot boy and plenty of teenagery issues.

She also writes for a local newspaper and has had a story published in The Friend.

You can check out Valerie on her blog.


The Baby’s Alive!

by Valerie Ipson

I have a recurring dream that has baffled me for many years. No, it's not the one where I am in school and I'm lost and can't find my classes or realize I haven't been going to class at all and the semester is almost over. That was my previous recurring dream, and frankly, I'm a little concerned that I've stopped having that one because I think it was related to my desire to finish my college degree. Graduating is a real life awake dream that I still want to pursue, but is my subconscious saying the dream is dead? (I'll have to have a little talk with my subconscious, then, plus start figuring out financial aid to pay for the dream!)

Anyway, my current recurring dream has been 'curring over the last several years and it has become increasingly more disturbing. In it I have a baby. Always at least one baby, but sometimes two. So in the beginning, it was good...babies showing up in dreams is happy, fun, often delightful, but now in the dream where I have a baby, I see the baby or find the baby and realize with horror that I have not been feeding the baby. It is barely alive. I have been neglecting my baby. I immediately begin to feed it and hold it and thankfully, it is still alive.

Why? Why am I having this dream? I have eight children--a fair amount, and I also just turned 48--a fair amount. I simply am not having more children. Okay, grandkids? Well, no married kids yet, so that will have to wait. Am I neglecting my own children? I asked a few of them that and they said basically, yes, now leave us alone. Teenagers. They're so funny.

I was excited to come upon this in a book titled One Year to a Writing Life by Susan M. Tiberghien: after relating Maya Angelou's recurring dream, she writes, "I also have a recurring dream..." then she proceeds to describe MY exact dream about the baby and the not feeding and the rushing to feed and it's still alive. This is what she says, "The child is my creative self. I realize that, yes, I have been forgetting my own creativity, my inner child, but that now I am paying attention. The child is still there, still alive."

I was thrilled with this explanation. I've been neglecting my writing baby for too long. It needs my attention, it needs to be fed, and, yes, it's still alive.

I told my husband of the interpretation and he said, "Are you sure it's not that you're neglecting housework?" Husbands. They're so funny.

[NOTE: He may have a point...I was vacuuming Saturday and after vacc'ing up several shades of the always lovely Easter grass that grows in the carpet every spring, I reached down to run my finger along the corner of the entertainment center, and, you guessed it, I pulled out Christmas tree pine needles. Eek!]

http://valerieipson.blogspot.com/

17 comments:

  1. I loved this Guest Post! Yay for Valerie! Thanks so much for the reminder that none of us should neglect that side of ourselves. :) I used to, but I'm not anymore. :D

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  2. What a great post. You'll be happy to know I've had a similar dream, only my baby was kidnapped and I had to find her. Luckily I did. Great interpretation. Kinda fits what I've been going through with my own writing.

    Thanks for sharing this.

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  3. That's awesome. You made me laugh. Teenagers and husbands are funny. And I love the interpretation of your dream. I have not been neglecting my writing, therefore have not had the dream. But last night (true story) I had a dream that my writer's group showed up for a meeting and I was in my PJs, my hair was crazy, and my house was a disaster. I think this was telling me that I am neglecting my house work (and possibly that I need to get dressed before noon). LOL

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  4. I can't sleep at all much less dream when I neglet my writing. I lay awake feeling anxious and unsatisfied which has led to many a late night at my computer. Thanks for the guest post, Valerie!

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  5. Thanks, Valerie! This post really does speak to me. My creative side and logical side don't play nice together. Trying to use them both at the same time doesn't work and so often, logical, busy, time's awasting me takes over and chokes my creative side. I'm talking attempted murder here, not just neglect!! But I like the idea of treating it like a baby. Would I let a real baby be strangled by deadlines, busy schedules, or any other excuses I have? The answer is of course. I would make it my priority. That's what I need to do! Thanks again! Hope to hear some more from you soon!

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  6. Ooops I meant to say of course NOT!! LOLOL!

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  7. Hey, thanks for letting me guest post, Mormon Mommys!

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  8. ACK! It's not letting me save my comments! I loved this! Thank you Valerie for the wonderful post! PS I love a good excuse to write... LOL! Now I've just got to have a reoccuring dream! Jenni

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  9. Wow! I have been having that same exact dream and I always feel so awful afterwards. It's always my youngest that I forget. It's like I forget that he even exists then Bingo! I remember and panic.
    At least I know longer have the dreams where I forget my locker combination or show up at high school naked. That was really disturbing. (AI member)

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  10. I loved this blog, and I can't certainly relate. In fact, I'm sure most writers have felt this way many times.

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  11. Great job, Valerie! I enjoyed your post. You passed on some wonderful lessons. (Oh, and I'm glad to know that the baby is not dead!)

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  12. For all you WACKY dreamers out there. I just found this contest. Go to this link and check it out.

    http://storiesforchildrenmagazine.org/WackyDreamStoryContest.aspx

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  13. Husbands are very funny, especially mine when he comes and says " I'm almost out of clean underwear." and he looks at me like I should have some response other than "Ew." or "Thanks for sharing." LOL

    Thanks for the guest post.

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  14. That was hilarious! Thanks for posting!

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  15. Valerie,

    I've had that very same dream! Thanks for sharing. Great post!

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  16. Wonderful thoughts, funny and insightful. And a great reminder to not neglect our creative side.

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