The Web Log Takes a Nap
I managed two, perhaps three hours of sleep last night. I think the cats woke me. (I won’t bore you with those details.If you are interested in feline habits and antics, send me a message.) Falling asleep again proved impossible. My mind refused to allow it, insisting upon reminiscing — where was the washer/dryer in the apartment I rented in the late 90s? Was it in the unit, or did I have to carry the laundry basket to a laundry room, and if so, where was it? That led to further side trips through Memory Maze. Sometime around dawn this transitioned to disjointed, incomprehensible half-dreams.
I haven’t been this tired since those first few months after the HA’s birth. (Don’t get me wrong, I’ll take this relative peppiness over that Season of the Zombie any day.) The point is, this post might be somewhat incoherent. Given the high bar I’ve set for incoherence in this Web Log, that could be noteworthy.
Sleep of the fictional variety is a tool for writers. It can advance a plot and help with characterization. There are a few literary sleep conventions. For example, the oft-used suggestion that soldiers can drop off to sleep instantly and in any location. You see that one everywhere. That led to a disappointment: my time in uniform failed to instill such a talent. (Yes, I was a soldier. Not much of one, true, but I’ve got pictures, bad feet, and a DD-214 as mementos.) Then there is the common heroic trope (think Conan) of the man who can fall into a recuperative sleep and yet come to instant, fully alert wakefulness at the first hint of danger. That would come in handy; I’d save so much money on coffee.
Tolkien played with sleep frequently, and not just as a dream delivery device. Comfortable sleep coincided with places of safety. RIght now I’m quite envious of Sam’s repose under Tom Bobadill’s roof. I’m more like a defective version of Legolas, wandering in my memories but failing to receive the benefit of rest.
Frankly, a nap would be nice.
Do you know what else is nice? Under Strange Suns. I ought to know, I wrote it. If you haven’t read it, give it a try. If you have, tell your friends. There, that’s all the marketing I have the energy for.
