Stories of the Middle Kingdom

N-A-P

I took a nap today. Hardly ever do that.

I had two visitors for 7 of the past 8 days, one Chinese, one American. Their eating and social requirements are on entirely opposite ends of the cultural spectrum, pulling me to my limits. I am exhausted.

Add to that a 5 a.m. wake-up call, clouds and drizzling rain, and the most boring and tedious work assignment I’ve ever had. It was a perfect formula for inducing a long, hard nap.

I asked Mimi, “Do you wanna take a nap?” She grabbed her bone, ran into the bedroom, and jumped on the bed, arriving several minutes before I did myself. Smarty-pants dog.

Dogs are great nap buddies. Even if they just took a nap, they are ready for another one, helping to fulfill their need for 16-hours a day of sleep.

I lay on the bed and soon heard myself breathing heavily. Not full-blown snoring. Allergies.

I heard the car horns blaring, the rain hitting the windows, the electric drill of the interior decorators across the way.

My brain began pulling random subconscious thoughts, splicing them together into a story that never really happened, creating a bizarre scenario, a “dream.” I woke to bring an end to the nonsensical story, but dared not move. It felt so good to be an unmoving zombie for 45 minutes, listening to the sounds of daily life I was temporarily detached from, warmed by the white fuzzy footrest called Mimi.

A nap. Such a simple pleasure in life.