GONE“I have never taken any exercise” much quoted American humorist Mark Twain is said to have said, “except sleeping and resting."
Twain was kidding, of course. Some would contend that we have too much foolish talk such as that in America today. It is evident Mark Twain that he outdid himself at least two times each week (weekdays and weekends)in writing all that stuff about Huck Finn and Tom Sawyer and other notable figured in his clime,instead of using a keyboard. In spite of all the flatboat, river-talk background we enjoy he did much of those works a a cabin retreat in upstate New York's "Finger Lakes" region. The walk up the mountain side daily was more walking than I get in a month.
I did something last I have never done before. I spent the night at a local Sleep Studies facilities. It was a first-time experience and, for that reason alone, it was of special interest and concern. A bright cheerful Sleep Technician showed us - my wife and one daughter in attendance for the event, we relaxed and watched the Finale of "Dancing With Stars" which they would have missed if I had sent them home. That set the scene for a good, homey setting for the patient. When they departed Technician Tara started getting me "ready" for bed. That placed pajama-clad me on the the edge of the wide, inviting bed having electrodes goo-glued and taped to my head. Then, "lights out" and I was ready to enter dream land having been told o eliminate. It made no difference whatever to me that I was on mike and on camera and on camera from that point on because I had been told to eliminate my afternoon nap. I was ready to sleep in my nest of many colors of electric cords. There was six questions in an audio quiz - repeated word-for-word the next morning concerning my sleep habits. Then,I think,I went right to sleep.
I went in to this test thinking that I would "beat". The rest of the night I remember now as a bad dream. Tech Tara Evy's smiles and assurances that all was well made it durable. Throughout the restless hours I came too feel "guilty" of all charges brought against sleep deprived persons. Itching everywhere, movements constant in efforts to scratch,or at least to touch or press each affected area, snoring, twisting, turning, kicking, mumbling things, asking permission to go to the bath room or bed-wetting, wondering if sleep-walking could possibly be a part of my seemingly semi-secret life as a unconvinced sleep lab patient. I counted my attached lines -thirty -four and I lost count; I wondered what Twain and others may have written about "sleep". It was a hap-hazard night and the report is going to make from some interesting reading.
One can not expect everything to "come up roses". It is, I think, better just to be glad certain unpleasant moments , necessary as a part of living, can come to a point when they are spoken of and seen as "past".
Andrew McCaskey amccsr@adelphia.net 11-16-06 [c-536wds]
