Cyrus
"Cyrus"
I've been having some fairly lucid dreams lately. Last night's was a doozy, let me tell you! Now I really couldn't give a tinker's cuss what anyone here, or outside of this frothy broth of a place, reading my ever-burgeoning comment boxes or poems thinks. But it seems apt that you would be the first to comment on the poem I wrote. Strange in itself, like many of the poems here. Another strange language, entirely....And then there was the weird dream last night. Which I am about to commence re-telling via short story format. This will be entertaining, or not. Perhaps a good laugh. But it's true, and as I have just woken, it is still fresh in my mind, addled as it is. For the life of me, I couldn't decode what the whole dream meant, as it was way out in that fuzzy, best to be avoided by most - metaphoric left field territory of a loner. I always think / believe that dreams are delivering messages to us. Some are decipherable, others remain a firm mystery. In this dream, I had some very small details I could follow up and try to decipher meaning.
I dreamt I had found my way to being placed in the role of Presentations Manager with a small TV station somewhere out in the boondocks. There was a handful of people around me in the dream. It was daylight, but the place, inside and outside the TV station, was in pitch black darkness.
I was being walked around the place and introduced to its small team, (I’m not sure who was leading me around the place, whoever that person was, I never got to see them visually. But I was certainly most aware of someone leading me around the place introducing me to various employees.
It appeared the station was in start-up mode, or it had been closed down for some reason and needing a re-boot. I sensed intuitively, it may have been closed down for some time, requiring new ignition. I was taken to a small room, occupied by a woman/man (still trying to work out the gender – must have been gender fluid – smiles - ) anyhoo, I thought she/he seemed rather lonely in this dark box of an office, with a number of television sets and consoles (turned off) around the room.
I asked she/he what she/he did in there. “Don’t you get lonely being in here on your own all the time?”, I asked -
to which the response was,
“Well, not for much longer, I’ve been promoted, out of here vamoose! I’m leaving and you’re my replacement.” she/he smiled with over-the-top effervescence. Ironically, I felt like I’d been thrown into a role no one really wanted. I felt absolutely trapped.
I said to she/he, “What am I supposed to do in here?”.
She/he responds matter-of-factly, “This is the Presentation Department of the station. You’re the new Presentations aficionado Kimosabe”.
“What does that mean?” I asked perplexed, thinking why was I here in this dream at all. Yes, it was one of “those” dreams – where you are in the dream, but you know it is only a dream. What indeed was my purpose in the dream? Could 'purpose' in a 'dream', equate to 'purpose' in “life”?
She/he responds, “You’ll work it out as you go”.
Meanwhile a few of the other station people, maybe 3 to 4, have entered the room, a curious gaggle, they all seemed a very odd bunch at loose ends, kind of kooky and eccentric, lost in their own little moment, looking for the door out.
She/he says, “Let me introduce you to Cyrus”.
This young flaxen haired dude (like white blonde hair, quite business like, not smiling, but got the feeling he was a decent person) appears from nowhere, standing in front of me. He shakes my hand. His hand was quite warm to the touch. He's tall, about the same height as me, a little taller maybe, so around 6ft, may 6’1ft, not much taller than me. I’m around 5’11. There was no attraction of the physical or romantic kind towards him (which kinda bothers me now, when I think about it, but then again...), other than that invading thought, my thoughts adhered to what the purpose of this introduction was and why was I dreaming about flaxen haired young men in dark run-down tv stations at all. Absolutely no time for flirting outrageously in this dream. Time, it seemed, was of the essence and although no clock on the wall, I sensed it ticking. Like a bomb, well hidden. Anyhow, I digress. However, I have to state at this point, as you can imagine my dreams being lucid, I’m taking in as much detail as I possibly can. And now writing it all down before I forget it - it was certainly a dream I want to remember. A corker of a dream.
Because I am a bit nervous about being thrust into a role, I have no idea of what it’s about, nor the how to’s and the why’s, or what for's I’m supposed to do, and I have had absolutely no training whatsoever - I can feel the anxiety level rising in me with each second passing. The pressure to be able to deliver what I’m meant to be adding to the value of the place is overwhelming me. And I’m very conscious of the short time I have to learn what it is I am meant to do in that role before it’s ‘action’ time and I must successfully deliver something – what ? I’m not sure. I feel I’m part of the place and if I fail, to deliver, what I’m meant to deliver, then perhaps - and I am feeling this quite strongly in the dream – I will fail ‘everyone’ on some monumental level. I don’t think its vanity, or conceit, or arrogance that I am feeling this way; it just is, what it is. It is quite perplexing, this feeling of awareness. And I am of the opinion, this is not one of those ‘fake-it-til-you-make-it’ scenarios, approaching me in ... this dream.
“Everyone” leaves the room and there I’m stood alone with this Cyrus dude, in the dark of this odd little television station, no lights on inside whatsoever and no lights outside – it is dripping pitch black inside and the geographical location outside, dark dark dark, no moonlight, no stars. We have a small torch with a small expanse of light fielding our way. To be perfectly honest, it’s all rather weird and rather frightening. Not a nightmare yet, but the potential is there. Or so I seem to ‘think’, not necessarily ‘feel’ .... in the dream.
He (that is, Cyrus), says crisply, “Right, come on then, we need to find the generator to get the lights back on”. So there I am following him around this internal maze of a place, like some lost little puppy dog, further and further into the winding darkness of it, into what would seem the silent'heart of the place.
He stops at what I take to be a generator box, lifts the lid and puts his hand on the switch. He turns to me and says,
“What do you think is going to happen when I flip this switch?”.
To which I respond, like some wobegone genius,
“All the lights come back on?”,
He claps back, “well that’s rather obvious, I can see why you were best choice for the role!”, this said rather sarcastically.
Being a little prickly (so not me), I said, “What’s that supposed to mean?”
He laughs and shakes his head, as if he instinctively expected that kind of automatic response from me. Or the shaking of the head, like “will you never learn Leanne?” Or “You’re a plodder, but you’ll get it eventually”.
I said, “I don’t see what’s so funny, this is serious business. And what is it you do? I guess you are the IT chap?”
He responds, nodding, “You’re kind of right, you could say, close enough. Here hold this,” I know what you're thinking, but it's not that. He hands me the torch, and says,
"Here, shine your light over this way".
“Yes, or no?” I say with great exasperation, “What exactly is your role here? I suppose next you’ll be egregious enough to let me think you’re the flaming chief cook and bottle washer”
“I am”, he laughs, "indeed madam, that I am."
I look at him incredulously. A laugh-a-minute joker, I thought to myself.
“That’ll do for now. You’ll get it eventually.” He smiles.
I woke up at that point, I didn’t get to see what happened when he flipped the switched. Whether the lights came on, or not, and what happened next, in that dream.
Now as you can imagine, I wanted to find out, what it all meant. I tried to go to sleep and get back into the dream again. I was unable to get back to sleep. Rupert Valentino, kept pawing at me. When that happens, a girl can never get back to sleep again.
Since waking this morning, I’ve been trying to understand what it all means - if indeed, it means anything at all.
So I had three things from memory of the dream, I could go with:
(1) the name, Cyrus;
(2) “Presentation Department”, television station.
(3) IT chap
Being the researcher I am. I google what does the name Cyrus mean. I come up with this –
“Cyrus”
(1)
Cyrus is a masculine name of Persian origin. Simply meaning "sun", this name is as powerful as it is gentle.;
(2)
From kupoc (Kyros), the Greek form of the Persian name Kurush, which may mean "far sighted" or "young". The name is sometimes associated with Greek kupioc, (kyrios) meaning "lord". It was borne by several kings of Persia, including Cyrus the Great, who conquered Babylon. He is famous in the Old Testament for freeing the captive Jews and allowing them to return to Israel. As an English name, it first came into use among the Puritans after the Protestant Reformation.
(3)
According to Isaiah 45:1, Cyrus is YHWH's anointed, his Messiah: Thus says YHWH to his anointed, to Cyrus whom I took by his right hand….etc, (you can read the rest of the parable, if you are into that kind of thing).
So by now, I’m thinking this is absolutely outright weird, but I’m going with the flow. I do not know anyone by the name of Cyrus, have not read anything about Cyrus (apart from what I researched after I awoke from my dream), seen anything on TV about Cyrus….that would influence that particular name be assigned to a character in my dream.
Now I’ve worked for television stations in the past (more than one), and I have had mostly a clear understanding of nearly every department that forms the working backbone of a television station, with the exception of “Presentations” Department. Publicity I get, Promotions I get, I’ve worked in Programming (so I understand scheduling implicitly), Productions I get (having supported Production and Creative), News, Sales & Marketing/Advertising, Management. Well of course, with the glamour of it all – why on earth, would one be interested in IT (but obviously one of the most important), aka Engineering, which relates to “Operations”.
You think I would have taken an interest in Presentations back in the day. But no. That was one I steered clear of, reasons why I can’t remember. What I do understand from working in a television station (it’s national network), is that all departments are connected and for the place to work to precision, each department supports the other, they are all connected – without one, the whole place falls apart at the seams, goes down the gurgler. Of course, it is only human nature that there is always the inevitable competitiveness and/or bitchy in-fighting between management, as well as between employees. However, as a ‘machine’, all departments are connected and must work together, for the flow of the place to successfully deliver news and entertainment to the public. Somehow it all works to deliver. Not every station wins the ratings.
Purpose of a Presentations Department in a television station. Presentations relates to “Continuity”.
Continuity/Presentations
“'Continuity' or 'presentation' is a term used in broadcasting, especially in the United Kingdom (see Continuity announcers in the United Kingdom), to refer to announcements, messages and graphics played by the broadcaster between specific programmes.”
“In broadcasting, ‘continuity or presentation (or station break in the U.S. and Canada) is announcements, messages and graphics played by the broadcaster between specific programmes. It typically includes programme schedules, announcement of the programme immediately following and trailers or descriptions of forthcoming programmes. Continuity can be spoken by an announcer or displayed in text over graphics. On television continuity generally coincides with a display of the broadcaster's logo or identity. Advertisements are generally not considered part of continuity because they are advertising another company.
A continuity announcer is a broadcaster whose voice (and, in some cases, face) appears between radio or television programmes to give programme information. Continuity announcers tell viewers and listeners which channel they are watching or listening to at the moment (or which station they are tuned to), what they are about to see (or hear), and what they could be watching (or listening to) if they changed to a different channel operated by the broadcaster. At the end of programmes, they may read out information about the previous programme, for example who presented and produced it, relay information or merchandise relating to the show, or to provide details of organisations who may offer support in relation to a storyline or issue raised in the programme. Continuity announcers may also play music during intervals and give details of programmes later in the day. If there is a breakdown, they make any necessary announcements and often play music for its duration.”
IT/Engineering (Broadcasting)
“The linchpin of a television station is the engineering department. It is the duty of this department to transmit the programming product of a station to its audience.”
Engineering
"This department handles the technical aspects of broadcasting and on-air time. Under a chief engineer, otherwise known as Director of Broadcasting Operations, there are a host of managers, engineers and studio crew members, including show directors, cameramen, audio board operators, teleprompter operators, photographers, videographers, tape room editors and engineering technicians. Master control supervisors oversee the master control room and all switchboard operators. They monitor transmitter readings, align satellite receiver equipment and make sure video airs in proper sequence.
A Broadcast Chief Engineer is a senior position at a radio or television station. They have a highly complex set of duties ensuring a broadcast runs smoothly and on schedule. They help to install and set up transmission and other media equipment such as soundboards, microphones, cables, monitors, and cameras. They typically report to a Chief Technology Officer or director at the station, and are responsible for carrying out their instructions and the instructions of clients. They delegate responsibilities to soundboard operators, sound technicians, and junior engineers."
Now by all accounts, our man Cyrus, was the Chief Engineer or Operations Manager. An Operations Manager is 2IC to the CEO. That’s a fairly significant and important role of influence. If not “the’ most significant role. And I had been standing next to this dude thinking he was “just” an everyday Joe IT “person”.
This is a true dream. Believe it or not and I thought I’d put this down in writing before I forgot the dream’s complex minutiae. This is how my mind works. Crazy as it is.
Now I leave it to the venerable reader (err, or not so venerable reader), to discern whether this is a true dream, or not, if they are at all interested. And I also leave it to the reader to try to decipher the meaning of my dream.
Yours in la-la land.
Dreamer-Who-Writes
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