In my dream, I am in a room with my older brother Richard (who passed away over a decade ago) and the President of the company that Richard worked for. The company is German and the President speaks English well, but with a considerable German accent.
I think Richard is quite pleased with this collection of people, as he is looking to "show off" to me how important the company thinks he is. So he is expecting the President to say positive -- and maybe even flattering -- things about his work and his position.
I listen to the banter between Richard and the President, and it occurs to me that the President is talking about Richard's past accomplishments... but not anything about Richard's future assignments or position. And it concern me more and more as the conversation goes on.
The scene changes and Richard, the President, and I are walking outside -- clearly with some destination in mind, but I think I might know what the destination is but I'm not sure.
As we walk, the President controls most of the conversation -- which continues to concern Richard in the past but not Richard in the future. The President summarizes the essence of Richard's career at the company -- how important he has been but nothing about the future. It finally begins to dawn on Richard what is happening and he confronts the President with a direct question. I don't recall the exact words of the question, but the gist of it is that Richard wants to know if he has any future with the company. He has clearly been taken by surprise -- expecting to be lauded for his successes, but now seeing to be on the verge of being let go by the company.
The President is quietly looking alternatively at Richard and away into open space. Clearly, the message the President is looking to give to Richard is something along the lines of "Well, you finally figured it out, did you?"
Richard is now panicked. He wants to do something to convince the President that he is making a mistake -- that he (Richard) can still be a valuable employee.
Richard runs ahead of us to an SUV, which was the vehicle we were walking towards. This SUV was going to take us some place -- and Richard seems to have known what that destination was. He runs over the far side (that is, the driver's side) of the SUV and wants to open the driver's side door. But there is a thicket of thorns and underbrush between him and the door and there really is no way to get into the SUV.
Frustrated, Richard goes running off and out of my dream. He has lost his position in the company that meant so much to him. And he can no longer "boast" about how important he is to his younger brother (that is, me). And now he can't even open the SUV door.
I am not terribly worried about finding Richard and making sure he's physically okay. But I fear that he may never be the same, given the humiliation that he has undergone in this experience.
The President moves to standing by me and is now telling me about all the good things that the company represents and how I would fit right into what the company is doing now and what it will do in the future. Part of me is not buying any of what the President is selling, but part of me recognizes the financial opportunities and status associated with working for the company.
I am wondering if there's a way to use the company the way that the company has used my brother. Can I get away with that? Is it worth the effort to try? How can I face my brother knowing that the company has replace him with me?
I think I have a hand to play, but I really don't know how to play it. And I'm concerned that I might wind up just being used. Like my brother.
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