Night

When I was young, I could not fall asleep for hours after I went to bed. Literally hours. I remember my mom taking me to the doctor regarding this problem when I was about seven. I remember him saying I should not eat ice cream or bananas for a few hours before bedtime. Memory is a funny thing. Is it really possible he said that?

Anyway, I had ways to entertain myself so I wouldn't get bored. First I'd knock on the wall between my room and my brother's and ask him what he wanted to talk about. He wasn't very reliable though; he'd either say "Nothing. Go to sleep" or he'd start chatting with me then fall asleep in the middle of a sentence...usually my sentence. Rude!

So when that failed, I'd sing. Every song I could think of. Usually from the soundtrack of Annie. I really loved that movie. After exhausting the entire repertoire of Annie songs, I'd start in with anything I could think of by Helen Reddy or Barbra Streisand (what? My mom was a fan. Geez).

After wearing myself out singing, I'd start making up stories. Then when that didn't work, I'd try the doctor's suggestion of putting every part of my body to sleep. (Goodnight big toe, goodnight ball of my right foot, goodnight Achilles tendon, etc.) Eventually that would get boring and I'd go back to singing.

I read now. And fall asleep a lot more easily. Too bad; I miss singing.

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