Challenge 22: Third Stage

139. Spanish poet Antonio Machado wrote, “Between living and dreaming there is a third thing. Guess it.” Give us your guess. (U of Chicago)

When I am awake and living, I am confused. I am not sure what exactly is happening all the time. Maybe there is a math concept I don't understand, maybe the English essay seems to long, maybe the amount of information I collect throughtout the day is too much for my head. What do I do in these situation? Well, I sleep. Yes, just fall right asleep. Usually I dream about things that are bothering me, people I worry about, falling off cliffs, or getting chased by a man in black. When I get up in the morning, I still have that lingering feeling flowing through my body, whether it be frustration, anger, jelousy, nervousness, happiness, or satisfaction. However, the good thing about dreaming is, beside the feeling, I don't remember anything else when I wake up. It just floats right out of my mind and doesn't bother me anymore.

However, there is a third stage that lies between living and dreaming. Although quite important, this stage is often oblivious to some of us. The third stage is understanding. This stage is something we all need to go through and most of us do. During this phase, the human mind undstands something. It undestands the math concept, it understands the information provided, and it understand how to perform that specific task. It understands that the feeling felt after waking up from a nightmare is real. It understands that these feelings are hidden at the back and may only emerge while dreaming. Sometimes, in order to understand, the human mind must mix both reality and dreams, and somehow create meaning. Sometimes I feel like I am stuck between these two phases: dream and reality. I can't tell one from the other. Then, something clicks in my head. I understand something and it is part of both a dream and reality.