It was, admittedly, a down energy day today.  I used to be a napper, but I haven't been for a long time. Okay, I have got to pause this narrative briefly to tell a 'napping story.'  Come on, I see some of you shaking your heads like, "Get to the point, man!", but I see more of you smiling because every now and then, my stories are worth it....  Anyway, without further ado, here is the story:

I was working at Kodak in Whittier, CA, circa 1996...  My boss had moved out during a divestiture and left me behind as the chief HR mucky-muck.  Well, I have probably been suffering from sleep apnea most of my life, and I snore something fierce.  Plus, with sleep apnea, you don't get restive sleep at night, so an afternoon powernap is better than a cup of coffee.  *According to the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine that short period of sleep (AKA, a nap!!!) has been shown to improve alertness, memory, decision-making, and mood among others...*  Dr. David Dinges first shared this hypothesis in the 1980s and several studies in the ensuing three decades have borne him out...

Now, in 2014, 6% of companies actually have 'sleep rooms.'  As a teacher, a daily catnap during my prep time always provided a welcome boost of energy.

Well, in the 1996 workplace? Not so much.  So, imagine the sounds emanating from my office every day around 2PM? I'd close the door, lay down on the couch - okay, it was a pretty good-sized mucky-muck office with a conference table, couch, desk, etc.  Hey, I used to be somebody!  Not that I'm not somebody now, but.  Well, you know what?  We're here now; let's lay the cards on the table...  One of the reasons I became a teacher is that I hated being 'the boss' when I was in the corporate world.  I did enjoy HR, however. Having said that, I am so happy that I am doing what I do now.  I do believe that everything happens for a reason.

Anyway... that may have been the most boring segue story ever, and I doubt it will make it into the movie, but hey - this is what you sometimes get with stream of conscientiousness writing...  You've got to suffer through some non-sequitors and dangling participles to get to the good stuff...

The whole point of the story was that I'd nap on that couch and rattle those walls for twenty minutes every afternoon, for two years...  Until 1998, when I got laid off.  Well, it's not really that dramatic, but I sensed the whole 'napping story' sort of fell apart, and then I tried to save it with a spectacular ending, but you can't put lipstick on a pig.  [Apologies to all for this particular metaphor, but I got stuck there...]

Move along people, nothing to see here...

Rarely does a detour down 'anecdote lane' blow up that badly.  Ouch.

Crap, I had to scroll all the way back up to the top to see what on earth my point was to begin with...  Napping.  Haven't had the urge to take, nor have I executed, a nap in several weeks.  And, as I've shared very recently, I've been feeling great.  So, why the urge to nap today?  I'm not sure, but I didn't get as many vegetables today as I've been getting...  Could be a connection.  Reminder to self: Stay the course on diet and exercise.

OR....  Just listen to your body!  There will be times that the energy is so readily available that I'm a white tornado, cleaning everything in sight - like yesterday.  Or, days like today.

Bottom line:  Don't be so hard on yourself.  Let yourself slow down.  Let yourself heal.  Let yourself be.

I just realized I'm talking not only to me, but sharing this advice with you.  When I write, I feel as if I'm sometimes sharing (stories, research), sometime musing (reflection, rhetoric), and sometimes engaged in self-talk.  For the sake of argument, you may view any of my self-talk as an opportunity for you to reflect on your own challenges, demons, strengths, assets, solutions, etc.  My fervent desire is that you just keep visiting with me and reading the blog.  There it is for me!  My metaphor for this blog!!  It's like you're visiting me in my little house in the desert, or the bell just rang and you're walking in for 2nd period AP Statistics.

*************  IT"S A CONVERSATION ************* A CONVERSATION **********

As such, a conversation requires dialogue.  So, all I ask are these two things:

ONE>  When you visit the blog, leave a quick comment on any entry that you either enjoyed or one which made you reflect or one that is confusing and you'd like clarification or one that I never got around to the 'punch line' as it were...  Make a quick comment, and I promise I'll reply to any and all.  I mean it.  Words cannot express how much this blog and your readership helped get me through this past week - your love and energy is felt, appreciated, and needed.

TWO>  Share it forward...  If you know someone who is struggling with a hard time, of any kind, someone who appreciates humor, of any kind, someone who has a brain, of any kind, pass this blog forward.  I see it working something like this...  FACEBOOK POST:  Hey, dog, I see you been a little down in mouth of late.  If you need a laugh, read this blog...  This dude ain't quite right, but he funny.  Peace, out bro...

Or this:  <Scene> Coworkers around the water cooler.  Edna from accounting and David from shipping are heating up top ramen in the microwave...
Edna approaches Dave....
Edna: "Hi, Dave."
Dave: "Oh, hi, Edna."
Edna: "Dave, I heard you shouting over the sound of two injection molding machines that you might have cancer, is that right?"
Dave:  "Oh, gee, Edna, that was a private moment between me and the lathe operator; I'm sorry you heard me talking about my man parts."
Edna: "That's okay, Dave, it's a short subject."
Dave (looking bewildered):  "O-o-okay, Edna."
Edna:  "If you ever get to feeling low, I suggest you read this blog: ontheroadtomentalhealth.blogspot.com. It'll set you straight."
Dave: "Gee, thank you Edna, and my man parts thank you, too..."

And the director, Lorena Bobbit, yells "CUT" way too sadistically when man parts are mentioned....

Wow, where did I go? Writing dialog freaks me out, so help my out with my two small requests and I can have some actual dialog with you...  Or someone pretending to be you, using your phone with the app still open - rookie!  (Speaking of rookies, remind me to tell you about the time my phone called me - LOUDLY - in front of students and teachers...  King Douchebag)  - Thank you, Duker -

To summarize: Drop a comment, pay it forward...  drop a comment, pay it forward...


Bed time.  Tonight's aphorism brought to you courtesy of Tommy, written to me in some of my darker days:

"Keep fighting the fight, Mr. P. There is a way out of this, and although it does often seem inescapable, I can testy to the fact this inescapability is no more than an illusion. I suggest you go and find some intellectual outlet-- introspection can grow tiring, and for an intelligent guy, stimulation is key. Other than that, keep at it, and know the fight your fighting is an entirely worthwhile endeavor."

Thank you, Tommy, for the advice - and the compliment.  High praise to hear those words from someone of your depth.  I am always in your corner, Tommy.


Carpe Diem, ladies and gentlemen.

PS - If I get my work done tomorrow, I get to watch 'Dead Poets Society' tomorrow night!  Love that movie, love the ideology, and love the motivation I've drawn from this movie to be different.  Thank you, Robin William, et al.