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Pipe Dreams

As I sit here, indulging in a large bowl of molasses tinctured burley in my large sized, full-bent Peterson pipe, I am feeling very content.... even excited and motivated about attempting accomplishment. It seems, a good, thought-provoking idea (research plan) has coalesced in the tangle of neurons and synapses in my head. This plan has all the makings of intrigue for me (planning, executing, building, etc) and is rather open-ended in terms of time commitment (there is an ability to have days go by without HAVING to tend to the research).

It feels very pleasant, rewarding, and invigorating to have a feeling of excitement and joy about a project such as this. It feels as if there is PURPOSE. And, you, my loyal readers know how I desire purpose in life.

It may all of course be a pipe dream, but I hope it is not. I am not sure if all of you know the derivation of the phrase "pipe dream," but if you do not... it IS NOT related to my beloved tobacco pipes, no matter how I merrily I jest and joust with this phrase to suggest so. "Pipe dreams" originates to phantom images or hallucinations that were described by opium smokers in the vast array of opium dens over the years. It is a big topic in my neuroscience course, because I use the phrase "Pipe Dreams" and the story behind this phrase in a lecture focusing on the use and function of the opiate receptors in the brain. These receptors are named "opiate" receptors because they respond to the presence of opiate compounds, which are mimics for a variety of endorphin-style compounds that the body produces internally.

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