Years ago I was in sad shape. I dropped out of college for the second time, couldn't focus on anything, felt depressed as hell and was genuinely self-pitying. A bunch of other factors played into this, but this isn't a group therapy forum so I'll leave those out.

I'm not a frequent dreamer. 99% of the time I completely forget them anyway, or they turn out to be nightmares. On occasion I will have a particularly vivid dream, but none as much so as one I had back in 2005.

I'm standing on a sand dune looking across a beach. Off to the left I see my brother and dad playing catch with a football down by the water, closer to me I see a couple friends lying on blankets, and farther to the right I see my grandparents and a couple other relatives having drinks at a seaside bar. I then turn my attention to the ocean itself. It isn't a bunch of waves crashing gently on the beach, it's a massive wall of water the size of an apartment building. The water itself is churning, almost boiling.

Then I feel a rumble as the wave comes slamming down onto the beach, covering everything in sight. By the time it reaches me it is only up to my ankles. I look down at my feet and as the water recedes everything that used to be there, the beach, my friends and family, is an endless field of grass.

Early on I interpreted this as a sign that yes, everything seems turbulent right now, but if I just give it some time all of my problems will be washed away. Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying I want anyone I know to drown. I'm just pointing out that I had some personal problems with them that are just starting to be resolved. I'm back in college, on good terms with my brother, and work for my dad with a steady income.

This dream is a big part of what's kept me on the straight and narrow these past few years.