Thanks Margie. That was an interesting read. I was hoping to read others thoughts on my dream.
The "tough to climb" subject is a reoccurring part of my dreams. It's not just with ladders though - I've had dreams where it's escalators, hundreds of steps or stairs and even tunnels that were dark and narrow.
Everytime I try to climb I'm having a hard time and I'm moving very slowly like there's a weight or something slowing me down. I get almost to the top after much struggle and everyone is shouting "It's easy. Come on, what are you doing?"
But anyway, I think my dream is a lot like what you said. It's realizing that things are not what they seem. And those huge free giveaway things are usually a lot more trouble than they are worth.