But I could be wrong...

I have never been one to read a lot of meaning into dreams.  I think they are a lot like horoscopes: people tend to see what they want to see and create their own meaning from them.

But you've gotta hear this:

I have taken a big role in a play.  (Already strange, for me.)  It's the first performance and I'm feeling good about the first half of the play, but a bit shaky on my lines in the second half.  I'm on stage with the other actors and things are going great!

Then it's time for me to exit for a while.  Instead of waiting in the wings for my cue, I wander off and explore the theater building.  I get distracted by someone's baby playing in the hallway.  I chat with people in the lobby.  I find a big empty room and take off my shoes and just run around for a while.

Oh, no!  It's time for me to go back on stage!  Oh, crap, where are my shoes?

Suddenly my shoes are really weird and complicated, with a bunch of buckles and even some strings that I have to tie...  I can't get them to fasten and I start to panic.

Actors from the play are coming into the room asking, "Why aren't you onstage?  We had to cover for you!"

The director shows up and I start to cry.  I tell her I couldn't get my stupid shoes on.  She says, "You should have come onstage without your shoes, then."

Duh!  Why didn't I?

So here's my (non-expert) analysis.  I'm in a play, something that would be really odd for me to be doing.  Something way out of my comfort zone, kind of like...homeschooling.

All is well in the beginning, but I'm not so great with the follow-through.  I get distracted and end up letting everyone down.  I get caught up in things that don't matter (shoes) instead of just getting out there and doing something.  Also, the shoes turn out to be much more difficult than I expected! 

The director, an authority figure (society, my family, accredited teachers, I don't know...) shows up and points out what a doofus I am. 

What do you think?  Can dreams have meaning?