This conception of dreamwork as a process for enhancing our appreciation of life was sent to me at an opportune time. I had been concerned about the fact that for me and for many of my students, dream interpretations frequently failed to yield practical information or solutions to problems. I was seriously considering the possibility of omitting dream interpretation as one of the options for students in my personal development course. I learned from Nancy's dream that for some people the practical utility of attention to dreams may be less important than other benefits: "It doesn't matter where we are going, it's for fun."

Nancy's dream spoke to some of my concerns about dream interpretation and related to some of the major themes of Sundance Community Dream Journal, even though I had not expressed my concerns to her, and she had not yet heard about the Journal. First, the theme of the "dream cruise" or "dream boat" with the stewards for service to others, people sitting together and even the image of the crystal, are highly reminiscent of one of the subscribers' dreams about Sundance (see B.D.'s dream in "Subscribers' Dreams," Sundance, Fall, 1976, page 135). Nancy's dream also illustrates the value of sharing dreams in the community: "We are all complimenting one another, and it is really genuine." Nancy's image of a "gold-colored tray of intricate workmanship with a tree carved in relief upon it" is similar to the dream shield described on page 91 of the first issue of the Journal. My own diary notes that on October 27, the day before her dream, I had spent the evening reading the first issue of the Journal. I had been particularly impressed by the article, "Dream Realization," which also spoke, in a way similar to Nancy's dream, to my concern about the practical utility of dream interpretation.

In summary, Nancy's dream helped me to perceive some of the benefits of dreamwork that I had overlooked. I now find myself more committed to dreamwork for its own sake rather than for some elusive interpretation that is rarely apprehended. And it probably does more justice to the mystery of our dreams to approach them as if there is fun to be had and nowhere in particular that we must go.