The Dream:

I’m walking into the school following Cale Neider. He is insistent upon showing me something and I continue to follow. We go to the elevator on the first floor and enter it. Instead of going up, a strange button is pressed and the elevator begins its decent to a lower level. When the doors open we are greeted with the sight of red velvet walls and ceilings higher than a cathedral’s with glistening gold and diamond chandeliers dangling. Could it be? Nieder has led me to the secret football jock lounge. We are immediately served with beverages by a waiter who meanders over to us between the darkly polished, red topped pool tables.
“Don’t tell anyone, man” Neider said. “This is the jock lounge.”
I look around and also notice multiple escape ladders twisting up through the ceiling, each labeled with the name of a football or basketball player. One wall is entirely windows and looks out onto a setting sun and white sand beach. For some reason I’m not even surprised by all this, as if I knew deep down all along that this secret lounge existed beneath the school. I walk over to test out one of the escape ladders when suddenly…. I wake up. The whole thing was just a dream.

Interpretation:

To interpret this dream, I called upon the knowledge of The Classic 1000 Dreams, a book that takes specific elements of dreams and interprets what they imply about life. Now, Zach was at school in his dream, which implies that he is ashamed of his ignorance in his schoolwork and should begin working earnestly. The fact that he is descending into a secret jock lounge has no interpretation, but the red velvet walls symbolize that Zach will have a personal gain soon. The setting sun is a good omen for Zach, but only if he chooses to go into law later in life, and the ladders signify a journey in Zach’s life.These interpretations may have something to do with Zach’s life, but it’s probably not true. While these elements individually symbolize different things, combined together their meanings change.
I personally think that this dream symbolizes a significant journey in Zach’s life; his journey to manhood. The descent to the basement is his recognition of boyhood, Neider being his guardian and guide. As he enters the basement and lounge he sees the other boys, who are about to make the ascent into manhood with Zach. What we don’t see in the dream is Zach’s actual ascent to manhood, where he climbs the ladder and emerges as a new and changed man.

Zach’s Interpretation:

Pretty much, I think my imagination and stereotypical ideas of sports in high school took a hold of me. It is a simple reflection of the silly idea that athletes get further in school while doing less. As most know, this is not true and everyone has to put forth the same effort in school. I was with Neider that day before I had this dream and since he is a football player it makes sense for him to show me into top secret jock lounge. In my opinion this dream is straightforward.