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Submitted by Morpheus on Saturday, December 17, 2005 at 8:11 PM EST
 Volume Forty-Seven – You Don’t Know What You’ve Got… 12/17/2005 Welcome, Dreamers, to the long overdue Forty-Seventh Edition of Enter The Dream Realm. I am Morpheus, Master of the Dreaming, and I will be your guide through this land of Nightmares and Dreamscapes. Yes, I know what is on the minds of each and every one of you reading this right now. “Where the fuck have you been?” First, before I explain, allow me to apologize to you. I do sincerely apologize to all the readers of this website and especially to all the Dreamers who sent me emails that I have not responded to. I had every intention of posting a follow-up column to my October 22nd “A Flair For The Old” column the following weekend, much of which was to be based around your email responses. Unfortunately, it seems that life had other plans for me, and that plan never came to fruition. That’s enough posturing, I suppose I should just get out with it. The reason I have been absent around these parts for the last several weeks is that 3 days after I posted my last column, my wife left me. No bullshit, no excuses, she up and left. While I was teaching a class on Tuesday morning, October 25th, she came back to the apartment with a couple of her friends and cleared the place out. By the time I got home, she was gone. No notice, no warning, not even a fucking Post-It note saying “I’m out, bitches!” I just came home to an empty apartment with all of her stuff gone, coffee beans ground into the rugs, and over 140 hangers strewn across my bed, which I conveniently had to clean up before I could even go to sleep that night. I thought that was a nice touch. So, needless to say, this all kind of threw my whole world into an uproar, and it’s been hell trying to get things back on track. Between trying to deal with all of this on a mental and emotional level, not to mention the obvious physical one, going through the whole divorce process, and all of the papers and exams I’ve had going on at school, it’s been getting hard to breathe around here. However, there is some light at the end of the tunnel it seems. I just got the one journal article shipped off to the publishers via FedEx on Wednesday, so that is out of my hair, and my second paper is under final review. I am working on my Prelim Proposal, after which comes the big Prelim exam, and then it should be back to normal around here sometime after January; hopefully the divorce will be over and done with by then too, so I can start fresh in 2006. Back to my point though, I’m sorry for having been away for so long, and I’m sorry to all the people that I haven’t gotten back to. I also send special thanks out to those of you who hit me up over IM over the last few weeks, especially Matt (shellexracing) in NC. You guys have been a big help whether you realize it or not, and I truly appreciate that. Now, enough banter, it’s time to get to it. Hopefully you will find this Forty-Seventh sojourn through the Dream Realm both enlightening and entertaining. So, without any further ado, let the Dreams begin!  - So, in another life update about just how awesome my sister is, she managed to wrangle three Fourth Row Seats to the New Year’s Revolution Pay Per View in Albany, NY on January 8th for me, her, and her boyfriend. Needless to say, she rocks more hardcore than anything that has ever rocked hardcore before. The only thing that sucks is that Cena is in the Chamber instead of Batista. I’m sure it will still be a great match, but the fact of the matter is that DAVE rules all, and Cena makes me want to punch a baby. - In what may be the best news I have heard coming out of the wrestling world in a long time, none other than the Native American Tatanka will be coming back to the WWE. I was a huge fan of his back in the early-to-mid-90’s, and I think it will be great to see him back in the game, especially if he uses his old entrance music. I swear to God that I will mark out like a little bitch the first time I see him do the whole Rain Dance Hulk Up thing, complete with Tomahawk Chop. What can I say, I’m a sucker for old school “New Generation” ethnic stereotyping. - Normally I’m not a big fan of the whole “our women are eye candy and can’t wrestle worth shit but we make them wrestle anyway” thing that the WWE has going for it nowadays, but in a couple of instances I admit they are doing something right. I just saw the pictures from the photo shoot of Ashley Massaro for Maxim Magazine, and I do have to say that she is liquid hotness. Keep her out of the ring and doing things like this, and I think we could have a beautiful relationship. Well, me, her, a bottle of hand cream, and… You get the picture…  You Don’t Know What You’ve Got... I can't make you feel what you felt so long ago I'll let it show I can't give you back what's been hurt Heartaches come and go and all that's left are the words I can't let go” Cinderella – Don’t Know What You’ve Got (Till It’s Gone) A lot of times in life we find ourselves in a situation where we get comfortable in our surroundings. Many times, this is actually the goal of what we hope to reach in life; to reach a point where we are comfortable and not at odds with the many facets of our existence. This comfort zone is often the only thing that ties us to sanity and keeps us from going over the edge into the realm of Clocktower Sniperdom. This comfort zone grounds us and protects us from the dizzying pace of the outside world, offering us some small piece of solace from the chaos that surrounds us and allowing us to let go of trepidations and be, even for a brief time, who we really are and truly hope to be. The danger of this comfort zone lies in the ease with which comfort can turn into complacence. It is far too easy to begin to take for granted the things that make us comfortable and keep us grounded. When something is there for you day in and day out, you begin to lose track of what it is that keeps it there, and treat it in such a manner as though it will always be there for you; as if that is the way things are and will always be. It is often a natural course of things that people simply don’t even realize is happening; when we become comfortable in a situation, or with a particular person, it becomes too easy to accept it as routine and make the fundamentally flawed assumption that life in this situation will go on forever. Unfortunately, the length of time that forever encompasses is entirely defined by the person through whose perspective it is being viewed, and perhaps even more frightening still is the fact that what is forever one day may not be the next. The things that we become complacent in and accept as a sort of universal state of affairs will not always last forever, and can quite often disappear from our lives abruptly and without warning. I have learned this lesson all too well in recent months. I admit in retrospect that I took my life with my wife for granted; I just assumed she would always be there to walk this road with me, love me, take care of me, and fight all of life’s battles with me, side by side. And we both know hearts can change And it's hard to hold a candle In the cold November rain” Guns ‘N Roses – November Rain Forever is a relative term, and it can end in an instant when we least expect it. I, like everyone else who has ever lived and breathed, have taken many things in my life for granted, only to realize too late the mistake I had made by doing so. My health, my job, my friends, my family, the list goes on and on, with my wife being only the latest instance. We all fall victim to this at one point or another in our lives, and the effects can be devastating if we don’t recognize it before it passes the point of no return. Unfortunately, it’s a very rare occasion that we are able to do so. Some of you are probably wondering by now what exactly all of this has to do with wrestling, and I assure you that there is definitely a connection here. These things have quite understandably consumed a good deal of my thoughts over the last several weeks, as they no doubt would or have with any of you. The more I have thought about this situation, the more I have come to see just how often it happens in daily life and all the people around me. Everyone falls into the trap of taking something for granted at one time or another, whether or not they do it intentionally or even realize they are doing so. Each of us as human beings has done so, each of us as wrestling fans has done so, and even the almighty group of people who make the wrestling world go around has done so. Take for example the case of the man the WWE touted as the Next Big Thing, Brock Lesnar. This was the guy they were banking on being the mantle-holder for the company for years to come. They gave him an incredible push upon his debut, and kept that push to the top running on all cylinders during his entire tenure, and deservedly so. The man was an absolute beast, capable of doing things in the ring that no one else could do. They knew that he would be the man to carry the company for the next several years and make them a good deal of bank in the process. Unfortunately, they made the fatal mistake of banking on that as fact, and were completely unprepared when he decided to call it quits to pursue a career in the NFL for a huge pay cut, but much lighter schedule. In retrospect, it’s quite fair to say that they didn’t know what they truly had until it was gone. Don't know what it is I did so wrong Now I know what I got, It's just this song And it ain't easy to get back, Takes so long” Cinderella – Don’t Know What You’ve Got (Till It’s Gone) In the same vein, after his attempts at breaking into the NFL fell short of being what some might refer to as “successful,” Brock realized a bit too late exactly what he had while he was with the WWE. He had job security, a massive paycheck, media attention, adulation from the fans, and overwhelming support from the higher-ups who make the decisions in the company. Looking back on his decision now, he finds himself regretting his choice to walk out on his fat contract and wants to get back into the wrestling game again. He too didn’t know what he had until it was gone. A more recent instance of the WWE taking someone for granted and not realizing what it was they truly had until it was too late came in the form of the proprietor of the Peep Show, Christian. This was a guy that was steadily getting over with the fans despite poor booking and the lack of a push. He was on track for a real Main Event shot for a while, and then it fizzled out once he was drafted to SmackDown!. That proved to be the straw that broke the camel’s back and directly led to his decision to leave the WWE for what may prove to be greener pastures for him in TNA. WWE are realizing now that there are few people with the ability to work a crowd like Christian could, and their attempts to recapture some of his magic, most recently The Cutting Edge, are not doing as well as they would have hoped. They may find themselves doubly regretting their complacence in this instance when (not if, but when) Christian Cage uses his talents to take himself to the top of the TNA ladder and make them both a bunch of money in the process. Perhaps the most staggering example of this, however, was the recent passing of Eddie Guerrero. Everyone who knows anything about wrestling knew that whenever Eddie was in the ring or on the mic, they were going to see something special. He was always a consummate professional that few if any could hold a candle to in ability and charisma. He was the definition of the total package (fuck Luger, that is all). He managed to turn his life around and drag it from the depths of ruin and work his way back to the top of the world, and we fans and WWE officials alike just knew that he was going to be there to entertain us for years to come. We took Eddie for granted in many ways, and looking back now, one month after his untimely and unfortunate death, I can say with utmost certainty that we simply did not know exactly what it was that we had until it was gone. I know it’s a bit later than most of my compatriots, but all I can say now is Rest In Peace, Eddie. You are loved by many, and missed by all. With how often problems arise from people simply taking things for granted, it truly amazes me just how often we continue to do it. I know it’s something that isn’t easy to change, but that doesn’t mean we can’t try. I think the lyrics to this next song are very appropriate right now, and I put them here as a shout-out to my good friend Cassandra who is an absolutely amazing person, and has been a gift for which I have been incredibly thankful for over these last few weeks. One part just needs the quiet And if I'm lonely here, I'm lonely here And on the telephone You offer reassurance I will not take these things for granted I will not take these things How can I hold the part of me that only you can carry It needs a strength I haven't found But if it's frightening, I'll bear the cold And on the telephone You offer warm asylum I'm listening Flowers in the garden Laughter in the hall Children in the park I will not take these things for granted I will not take these things for granted I will not take these things for granted I will not take these things Anymore To crawl inside the wire and feel something near me To feel this accepting That it is lonely here, but not alone And on the telephone You offer visions dancing I'm listening Music in the bedroom Laughter in the hall Dive into the ocean Singing by the fire Running through the forest And standing in the wind In rolling canyons I will not take these things for granted (Flowers in the garden) I will not take these things for granted (Laughter in the hall) I will not take these things for granted (Children in the park) I will not take these things Anymore” Toad The Wet Sprocket – I Will Not Take These Things For Granted Those words represent very well the new philosophy I am trying my hardest to subscribe to, and I think it would be wise for others to do the same, whether you’re an average joe like me, or the head of a major corporation like Vince McMahon. It’s so incredibly easy to take the things in our lives for granted, and sometimes we need to take a step back and recognize exactly what it is that we have, because as easy as it is to take something for granted, it’s not easy to deal with the loss that we feel when it’s no longer there. It’s definitely true what they say: You don’t know what you’ve got…     Till it’s gone.  - In a move that I am sure will be exciting some old school wrestling fans, TNA has decided to bring Sting back from obscurity to wrestle on its roster. Now, as someone who never really got to see much of Sting while he was actually wrestling in WCW, I can’t really pass too much judgment on the wisdom behind this decision. There are a few things, however, that I do know. First of all, he’s pushing 50. Second of all, they won’t bring him back to work the midcard. Third, and most importantly of all, does anyone really expect that he’ll be working Main Event matches with Raven or Rhino? I thought not. So what does this mean? A year’s worth of Main Event feuds between Jarrett and Sting. Call me crazy, but I think that will more than likely suck worse than cancer. - I have to admit that I’m a little bit upset about the whole RAW GM situation. Don’t get me wrong, change can be a good thing, but I don’t see the point of changing something just for the sake of changing it. Bischoff has been a bitchin’ GM since he started, and his character has shown a good deal of development during that time. One of the things that made RAW seem so much stronger than SmackDown! was the fact that they weren’t changing GM every 6 months like the blue brand. If they bring in anyone other than Jericho or Shane-O-Mac to be the GM, I’m going to piss on my television. If they bring in Dusty Rhodes as the GM, I am going to vomit into a bag of hair and personally rub it all over Vince McMahon’s office carpet. That’s how I roll. - It seems that in addition to many people on the active roster, The Rock and Steve Austin are quite upset with the angle involving Eddie’s car on the SD! special. In all honesty, I can’t blame them, as it was just a bit in poor taste. However, I find it ironic that Steve Austin is complaining about an angle being done in poor taste when perhaps his most famous angle involved him shoving forceps up McMahon’s rectum while he was in traction in the hospital. Perhaps even more glaring than that, though, is The Rock’s protest of the situation. I can’t be the only one who finds it incredibly ironic that he’s complaining about bad scripts, can I?  As you slowly return to consciousness, the last whisperings uttered from the lips of the Dream Master encourage you to check out three particularly outstanding columns in the forums: RIPBossman – Hardtime #45: Double Standards Boss Foxx – The B.M.F. Show Episode 111: A Very Bossy Christmas BC – A Year In Review This brings to a close this Forty-Seventh Edition of Enter The Dream Realm. Any feedback you have, as always, would certainly be greatly appreciated and can be sent to me via email at morpheusreturns@optonline.net. Hopefully any ring rust I may have acquired will work its way out sooner than later. I hope that those of you that haven’t yet will take the time to check out some of the great writers we have in the LOP Columns Forum. Until the next time we do this, sleep well, and I’ll see you in your Dreams! Contact Me! Email: morpheusreturns@optonline.net AIM: MorpheusLOP MSN: morpheusreturns@optonline.net Yahoo: MorpheusLOP Hit me up on MySpace! All the cool kids are doing it! PLUGS!  Click here to visit pt2’s Wrestling Fan’s Hall Of Fame!!! LOP Forums LOP Columns Forum Psychotic Wrestling Alliance - LOP’s very own E-Fed, and hands down the best out there. Ring Of Honor Wrestling Viva La Movie Bar! The Bar Forums 
*NEW GALLERY* Randy Orton & Other WWE Superstars WILDIN' OUT and PARTYING!
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