Low sleep

I didn't sleep very much last night, but I told myself that I would write every day, so here it is.

The thing about sleep is that it enables you to do things and think clearly. Lack of sleep turns me into a slug. I gaze at a pile of things or a list of bills to pay but can't bring myself to begin on any of it. I might meditate for a minute on its importance, standing, swaying slightly, considering a possible action. That's what low sleep will do.

The low-sleep state is deceptive, too. With coffee, first thing in the morning, I'm on a kind of no-sleep high. I think of myself as tough; it might even be fun. I start off on errands to beat the traffic (especially important this morning, four days before Christmas). Driving is good. It doesn't take much energy; you can float along without being a danger to others. You can accomplish things. You can go to stores where you're unlikely to see people you know, and your awful appearance will still be a secret.

But when I return to my maze at home the no-sleep state returns. I get mesmerized by news websites and can't move easily between projects. One project becomes the whole day.

Ah, well. The good thing about low sleep is tonight's good sleep.

Interior Life

Yesterday was the birthday of my college friend, DB Dowd. He is a great blogger and writer in general, not to mention an accomplished artist. In fact he is a prolific artist and author. I saw recently on Facebook that he, Lori Dowd, and Alyssa Schier were nominated for a mid-America Emmy for their work on StoryTrack, a documentary film initiative.


DB lives in St. Louis. A few years ago we met for coffee over the holidays (my sister is in St. Louis as well) and after talking for a few minutes, he said, "I see you still have your interior life." That's a compliment! If we lose reflection, humor, and creativity, whatever that may be, we've lost a lot. It must be cultivated (which I guess is what I'm trying to do now).

In early January I start a job as an instructor for Savannah Technical College in their Adult Education program; I'm teaching a GED prep course. What, exactly, do I remember about fractions? The point is, that I'll be helping people pass their GED, obviously, and maybe, though this might be too lofty a thought, I'll be helping them attain the chance to support their creativity, their interior life, whatever that may be, whether through employment or something developed on the side.

There is, in fact, an organization in Savannah dedicated to directly helping minority youth 

 express and achieve through the written and spoken word and artistic forms. DEEP was started by Dare Dukes, a local musician. Maybe I could help them out once in a while after the GED class. After all, when you read other people's writing, you're at the same time helping your own.