Philippa, your dream is a rich tapestry of emotions and experiences, primarily centered around themes of authority, compassion, and personal boundaries. The setting of the breakfast scene ending at 10am and the woman with her two children being denied food despite having paid highlights a tension between rigid rules and human needs. This could symbolize a conflict you might be experiencing in your waking life where institutional or societal structures feel overly restrictive and unsympathetic, possibly leading to feelings of frustration or helplessness.
The crying child underscores a deep sense of vulnerability and urgency, perhaps mirroring your own feelings or those you are sensitive to in others. This could be emblematic of a situation where you feel powerless to effect change or provide support, despite your desire to do so.
Encountering your old boss in the back kitchen, especially with him yelling at you, despite this not being his real-life behavior, suggests an internal struggle with authority or past expectations. The confusion about your role and responsibilities in the dream reflects an uncertainty or a sense of being ungrounded in your current life circumstances. This dream scenario may indicate that you are facing pressures or demands that feel overwhelming or unclear, making it difficult for you to navigate your path forward with confidence.
The act of putting leftovers on the counter for the family, even though initially they were denied, symbolizes your inherent compassion and willingness to subvert rigid structures to help others. This action demonstrates your empathy and your desire to support those in need, even when rules or norms suggest otherwise. It speaks to your core values and your inclination to act with kindness, reflecting a deeper part of your personality that values empathy over strict adherence to rules.
Seeing the family sit down to eat while others come in for lunch introduces a contrast between scarcity and abundance, perhaps highlighting a feeling of inequity or imbalance that you perceive in your environment. This could be a reflection of your awareness of social or economic disparities and how they impact people's lives.
Finally, the image of your face turning bright red in the changing rooms could symbolize feelings of embarrassment, shame, or a heightened emotional state. This might be tied to feelings of self-consciousness or anxiety about how you are perceived by others, especially in situations where you feel out of control or uncertain.
Overall, your dream seems to explore complex themes of empathy, authority, and personal boundaries, suggesting an ongoing internal dialogue about how to navigate these aspects in your waking life.