Dreaming in Iraq
Janet, 24 American
This is a dream my boyfriend had while he is currently deployed in Iraq.
I had a dream that you were at this party with a bunch of new people and we had like video phones, so I could see you and you see me. Everyone there was saying they couldn't wait until I got home cause you had told them all how we loved to party.
Mr Hagen's Reply; Homesick -or- Video-phones in Iraq
Your boyfriends dream is relatively transparent, he's homesick as probably are many others. All the hope they have to hold onto when serving in a distant country, is to imagine returning to their loved one's and their home. The fact that he has a video phone reinforces the need to communicate with loved ones. As Canadians, we understand these sentiments, our troops are fighting with American men and women in Afganistan. A typical Canadian coffee shop "Tim Hortons" opened in Afganistan, read article, (the heading reads; "Tim Hortons brings taste of home to troops in Kandahar."). Usually I would be loath to advertise, however in this case I will make an exception.
And while I'm sure that many people with vested interests reading this dream might say it should be censored for "security" reasons, I believe that one of the highest human rights and freedoms, is freedom of speech and expression. We need to express our feelings, if we don't... this can lead to "post-traumatic stress disorder." Rene Spitz recognized the need for social contact using the concept of "anaclitic depression." People need contact, especially in times of war.
No one is saying anything in the dream about turning tale and running away, if you see the war canvas I'm painting? Your boyfriend misses talking to you and misses seeing the surroundings of home. We can clearly understand from the dream that war is not a party. Another dream posted at the IIDR website, speaks about Canadian General Romeo Dallaire's experiences in Rwanda.