The other day I read about a
workshop that explores sleep disorders and I toyed with going, not because I
have a sleep disorder but because I am curious about what it is that causes
some people to suffer sleeplessness hour after hour.
workshop that explores sleep disorders and I toyed with going, not because I
have a sleep disorder but because I am curious about what it is that causes
some people to suffer sleeplessness hour after hour.
I decided against going. For one thing I do not have the time to
spare, nor do I know the orientation of those who would be taking such a
workshop. I fear too much emphasis
on behaviour and the superficial.
Such an approach would drive me potty.
spare, nor do I know the orientation of those who would be taking such a
workshop. I fear too much emphasis
on behaviour and the superficial.
Such an approach would drive me potty.
Worst of although I fear attendance at such a workshop might
put the mozz on me and suddenly if I allowed myself to think too long about it I, too, might begin to suffer from insomnia.
put the mozz on me and suddenly if I allowed myself to think too long about it I, too, might begin to suffer from insomnia.
Sleep is such a fragile thing. It comes in waves.
We looked after our grandsons last
night while their parents went out to dinner and drinks for one of our other
daughters’ birthdays, the first outing my daughter and her husband have been
alone together since the youngest was born eleven months ago. It comes into my mind now thinking
about sleep.
night while their parents went out to dinner and drinks for one of our other
daughters’ birthdays, the first outing my daughter and her husband have been
alone together since the youngest was born eleven months ago. It comes into my mind now thinking
about sleep.
Around 9.30 pm I pushed my nearly
one year old grandson’s pram up and down the corridor willing him off to sleep. Up and down the corridor I pushed his
pram but he was determined to stay awake.
Eventually he could not keep his eyes open and dropped off. The pram’s movement was
irresistible.
one year old grandson’s pram up and down the corridor willing him off to sleep. Up and down the corridor I pushed his
pram but he was determined to stay awake.
Eventually he could not keep his eyes open and dropped off. The pram’s movement was
irresistible.
My mind does not want to work this
morning. I tell it to think about
sleep but it is too cluttered with thoughts of the day ahead. All the jobs I have to deal with,
including a visit to my mother early, because we are having a dinner for the
same daughter’s birthday – multiple celebrations for a birthday that fell last
week while she was away.
morning. I tell it to think about
sleep but it is too cluttered with thoughts of the day ahead. All the jobs I have to deal with,
including a visit to my mother early, because we are having a dinner for the
same daughter’s birthday – multiple celebrations for a birthday that fell last
week while she was away.
See how cryptic I can be, avoiding the use of personal names
so as to avoid identifying those who might not want to be identified.
so as to avoid identifying those who might not want to be identified.
My heads a clutter with ideas, and
prohibitions. The other day I
heard about the three Cs of anxiety, ‘clutter, clots and clogs’. You can read about it here. They relate to hoarding, but my interest is in its less pathological manifestations,
as something I can get into not only literally – if you could see the junk room in
my house you’d know what I mean – but metaphorically, in my head.
prohibitions. The other day I
heard about the three Cs of anxiety, ‘clutter, clots and clogs’. You can read about it here. They relate to hoarding, but my interest is in its less pathological manifestations,
as something I can get into not only literally – if you could see the junk room in
my house you’d know what I mean – but metaphorically, in my head.
The idea is that a degree of
clutter is part of the stuff of life. We need stuff to live and in a family of
several folks, young and old, you will find lots of things, in use, put aside, open
and available at the same time.
clutter is part of the stuff of life. We need stuff to live and in a family of
several folks, young and old, you will find lots of things, in use, put aside, open
and available at the same time.
The kitchen table is covered in condiments, open school books,
unfinished sewing, shopping lists and more besides. A lived-in house.
On the other hand, there are areas where the stuff gets piled and is not used
regularly nor removed, though it could be if someone put their mind to it.
unfinished sewing, shopping lists and more besides. A lived-in house.
On the other hand, there are areas where the stuff gets piled and is not used
regularly nor removed, though it could be if someone put their mind to it.
An example of clutter that borders on chaos. I’m the one in white.
The
stuff that stays for months on end becomes a clot. And finally, there are the areas in the house that can
spread one clot after another into a serious clog, serious to the point that
activities must be curtailed because there is no room to move.
stuff that stays for months on end becomes a clot. And finally, there are the areas in the house that can
spread one clot after another into a serious clog, serious to the point that
activities must be curtailed because there is no room to move.
You can’t even open your doors for
the stuff. You can’t use your
table or bench top for the stuff. In other words you can’t live.
the stuff. You can’t use your
table or bench top for the stuff. In other words you can’t live.
I once visited the house of the
artist Mirka Mora and her place was like that, only her stuff was mostly art
works, great gorgeous canvases and stuff she used as still life, dolls and taxidermic
animals and post cards. An amazing
place and some how it did not offend me in the same way a really cluttered,
clotted, clogged place might.
artist Mirka Mora and her place was like that, only her stuff was mostly art
works, great gorgeous canvases and stuff she used as still life, dolls and taxidermic
animals and post cards. An amazing
place and some how it did not offend me in the same way a really cluttered,
clotted, clogged place might.
When I was young and worked as a
social worker I went from time to time to visit an elderly man who lived alone
in Carnegie. The local doctor had referred him because he was concerned about
this man’s life style. The man
refused to throw anything out. The
hall way was lined with newspapers in piles and empty tin cans. There was not an open space in the entire
house. I could only interview him
in his bedroom and I was reluctant to sit on the one chair available beside his
bed because it too was piled with newspapers.
social worker I went from time to time to visit an elderly man who lived alone
in Carnegie. The local doctor had referred him because he was concerned about
this man’s life style. The man
refused to throw anything out. The
hall way was lined with newspapers in piles and empty tin cans. There was not an open space in the entire
house. I could only interview him
in his bedroom and I was reluctant to sit on the one chair available beside his
bed because it too was piled with newspapers.
He must be dead by now, and I
wonder what happened to his stuff.
Did it wind up somewhere on a tip, the useful and the junk all blended
together into one unusable mass?
wonder what happened to his stuff.
Did it wind up somewhere on a tip, the useful and the junk all blended
together into one unusable mass?