MY CHAIR ON THE DREAMLAND EXPRESS

Not long ago, I saw a poster on Facebook that read: SHE RAN AWAY IN SLEEP AND DREAMED OF PARADISE.

I often teased my father about falling asleep during the evening. "You should go straight to bed after dark," I told him. "Because you sleep thru most of our TV shows." (I couldn't imagine myself ever doing this!) He replied that he slept better in his recliner than in bed. It was all a matter of age, one day I would understand.

Well they don't call it the change-of-life for nothing! Now it's a challenge for me to stay awake in the evenings. Also Dad was right about the recliner, it is much better for sleeping than a bed, certainly far more comfortable. Plus I don't have all those crazy, disturbing dreams in my chair. My sleep is far more serene.

In my 30's, I took a couple of courses in hypnosis. As a result, I experienced dreams in full color and 3D. They felt like actual experiences until I woke up. I can still do that today by using the same technique. However now that I'm old, I'm less interested in adventure and more into peaceful sleep.

I've never been the type that likes going out at night, unless it's something really special. I prefer daytime events.

Gertrude, my former neighbor, went directly to bed after the evening news. Around midnight, she'd get up to watch old movies on TCM until 4:00 AM. Then she would return to bed and sleep until 7:00 AM.

Unless I have a migraine, I'd never go to bed while it's still light outside. I prefer my TV viewing, as well as napping in darkness. However, this time of year it stays light way too long! I keep a baseball cap next to my chair. When I slip it down over my face it's like an off-switch as well as a shade.

I absolutely love my DVR! I record everything rather than watch by appointment as in the old days. When I feel a nap coming on, I just exit to a classical music station, turn the volume low, or mute. Often, it's just a 10 or 15 minute catnap, but sometimes I sleep for an hour or more. Once, around 8:00 PM, I closed my eyes and didn't awaken until 11:30 PM. -- An hour past my bedtime! I went upstairs to bed and slept soundly until morning.

I can foresee a time when I won't bother going upstairs to bed at all!

To be honest, I don't like this direction my life has taken. Because, I'm aware I don't have all that much time left on this planet. I want to be fully here, awake and alert, even if I'm just watching an old movie on TV. I used to enjoy reading in the evening. But I can't do that anymore. I become too sleepy too fast.

Of course the thought has occurred, that one future day, I'm going to get up and look back at my lifeless cadaver in that chair. -- Many older people vow never to die slumped over in a recliner! Personally, I think that's the ideal way to go. If I'm lucky, I'll die in the recliner. Believe me, there are plenty of worse options.

Most likely, the mailman will eventually discover my body, rather than a neighbor. But it won't be my problem. I don't intend to haunt my house. Unless my dead relatives cause me more grief, I plan to be worlds away on the far side of Heaven.