No, I’m not talking about kid-napping or dog-napping, or theft of anything tangible. I’m referring to those blissful moments when I can close my eyes, lean my head back, relax all my muscles, and perhaps sleep!
This kind of napping is the most frequent item on my daily schedule these days. There’s a little variety with occasional doctor’s appointments but the rest of my time seems to be filled with naps. Since I am napping so often, I decided to do a bit of personal research on that phenomenon. The findings are still tentative because I have slept through most of them!
Why nap? Because babies and cats should not be the only ones able to enjoy this pleasure. All of us deserve times to close our eyes, turn down our ears, and drop out of our chaotic life and confusing world for few minutes. Personally, I nap because I don’t have the energy to do anything else!
Where to nap? Nearly anywhere, with some important exceptions. Never nap in the driver’s seat of a vehicle that is moving, whether it is an airplane, a car, a riding lawn mower or a bicycle. Also, avoid napping while you are swimming or scuba diving. Unfortunate consequences could result if you ignore these warnings.
It’s usually best to nap on your own property. However, allowances are often made for quiet naps in the theater during a boring play or concert or in church if the pastor gets too long-winded in the sermon. If you nap in a public place, it’s fun to choose a visibly unstable position and then watch the expressions on the faces of those who pass by as you drift off to La La Land.
When to nap? Anytime is great, whether you are tired, bored, or want to escape an unpleasant task awaiting you. It’s usually advisable to allow time between snoozes for a meal or two, and maybe a bathroom break.
We usually consider naps to be daytime diversions. However, if you are unlucky enough to have to work the “graveyard shift” during the night hours, naps are even more refreshing than in the daytime. I detested the 11 to 7 shift but, of course, in health care had to work my share of those night hours. I can’t count how many times I would wake up with my head resting on a stack of patient charts not yet signed off!
How to nap? Everybody knows how to nap. We were born doing it but growing up has taught us some bad habits such as taking on responsibilities and then worrying about how we will carry them out. But if you can repent of adulthood for a few minutes, lie or sit down in a comfortable position, close your eyes, then imagine some beautiful places where you have been. Before you know it, you will have traveled through Drowsytown and arrived in Slumberville. That was easy, wasn’t it? (The hard part is getting awake again!)
But naps do not necessarily involve sleep. A relax-a-nap is also quite restful. That is when you stretch out, close your eyes, carefully rest all your muscles, but DO NOT fall asleep. It may take some practice but you can get to the point when your friends and associates can’t tell whether you are napping or relax-a-napping, especially if your face is hidden behind a large and boring book! When you get that good at relax-a-napping, listen carefully! You may hear some very interesting comments made around you -- and maybe even some comments about you!
Well, dear readers, I must go now. You see, it’s time for my nap!
MarySue Helstern Rosenberger
16 April 2019
