Strange dream indeed last night...
It seemed that sometime in the not-too-distant past, I hurt my buffalo. It must have been bred for food. But what I actually went through in the dream was trying to comfort the animal, you see I had cut a piece off the back of its neck. I knew the animal hadn't complained, and was happy that I was there with it, treating it well at this point. It didn't seem any worse for the missing muscle and fur, although the skin was healed by now.
I felt so bad. I didn't want any more harm to come to this beautiful creature. However, I also had this thought in the back of my mind, about the way it wasn't angry with me in the least. Something between sympathy and disgust.
The buffalo lived in the garage and was smallish and cuddly, yet life-size and strong. The dream very likely means nothing at all, but I literally couldn't help interpret it a few hours after I awoke, when I remembered it. Not a concious effort, more like thoughts streaming into my mind about what it might mean.
The smallish stature could indicate a recent ex-girlfriend. I don't feel bad about anything, but I could have skipped some of the comments I've made. I wasn't mean per se, the breakup was agreeable, we both had been going back and forth for awhile realizing this or that wasn't working. But she is someone I grew fond of protecting.
The nature of the buffalo also could indicate a recent dating experience. A sweet girl who would probably try hard to please me if I gave the opportunity. But there just weren't any sparks, sorry. Someone I'd like to cultivate a friendship with, but doubt much more would develop. So it feels slightly one-sided.
The last of the likely interpretations might seem unusual... my car. It is one of the few things I've treated myself, something to show for my hard work. I love the car in the way that one can love an inanimate object. But I haven't been able to drive for awhile, and just started again yesterday, due to recent surgery.
The common thread is something about not being perfect. Having a tinge of remorse for something out of my control. Wishing things were different somehow, but knowing I did no wrong.
The jury's still out on whether dreams are randomish connections being purged from the mind - maybe higher level stuff like forgiving oneself, or a strengthening of connections allowing one to integrate internally - maybe bringing up things that need to be dealt with by an individual. Or maybe it's even more random, and really means nothing. But they surely seem meaningful as the patterns are necessarily similar to one's own thoughts and experiences.