Friday, February 22, 2013

Afternoon Visions

I don't know what's come over me. I never used to be one for an afternoon nap, but there has been a change. Oh, in the past decade or so I'd have a very short nap, and I really do mean short, perhaps once every month or two, but I hardly think that counts. Recently, however, I seem to be drawn to my easy chair almost every day.

When I look back, it seems that this pattern began almost exactly when I turned 65 last September. Perhaps it's a coincidence, or perhaps some sort of switch magically flips around this age.

We have an official rest time after lunch on the days when we have JJ. He is really very good about this. He plays happily and quietly on the guest bed during this quiet hour, usually with his Nintendo DS that used to be mine. It was passed onto him for Christmas the year before last, and he has made good use of it ever since. Except on very rare occasion, he doesn't sleep. But I often do.

I am more of a side sleeper than a back sleeper, but I try to stay on my back for the most part for this afternoon siesta because I don't want to sleep too long or deeply, for if I do sleep deeply, I sometimes find myself a little groggy for a few hours afterward.

I don't sleep heavily and sometimes not at all. Even I do nod off, I tend to jerk back to the surface. Depending on how tired I feel, this pattern can occur any number of times in one session. In addition, strange things occur during my noddings. I call them visions.

Sometimes, a parade of faces will flash before my eyes: one face after another. Stranger yet is the fact that they are faces of people I don't know. My brain, which cannot visualize or create much when awake, simply creates all of these unknown faces, frequently in rapid succession.

Sometimes, and this is occurring more frequently than the face parade lately, I simply see weird occurrences, such as a child flying by on a toy dragon: an all-time favourite vision. I recently saw my daughter-in-law being carried somewhat fireman-style into a lake. She wasn't being held very securely, which caused her head to dip in to the water. Then I both saw and heard Sue calling me so clearly that I woke up, looked to the door and answered. Except she wasn't there.

Of course, these are the highlights. The truth is that I don't remember the majority of my visions, but I am aware that I have had them in my noddings.

Sue also rests during this sacred hour in which we endeavour to reclaim our tenuous grips on sanity, but she does not experience visions. In fact, she thinks I am weird.

She's probably right.


9 comments:

Donna said...

I don't think it's weird...I think it's Fun! I can do that as well and am trying to talk to the people I see. I Finally got someones attention but when they turned my way to respond, I woke up! Drat!Hahaa....
hughugs

Lorna said...

Weird sounds about right to me. Weird, at our age, is a bonus.

KGMom said...

AC--I must tell you--I've been there too...visions or image flashes or dreams or whatever.
Recently, I thought I saw a cat on our bed, reached out to pet it and was startled that it had no hair. Then, when properly awake, I realized it was my husband's arm. I had to apologize to him for petting him. He thought me very odd indeed. His response--you thought I was a cat?

Bernie said...

Thank God I am not the ony one, during one of my naps the door bell rang and I got up and answered the door......only to realize I had been dreaming and the bell hadn't rang and there was no one at the door of course. It was so real. Have a great weekend, xo

Regenia said...

I find this so interesting that others are experiencing the same thing. I rarely take an afternoon nap unless I am especially fatigued. But if I or my husband Allan begin to have similar experiences, I'll know it is normal. Wonder if there is an explanation?

Ginnie said...

Well, join the club, AC ! I try to stay away from napping during the day because it cuts into my night's sleep...but all I have to do is start to read a book in the afternoon and the next thing I know I am in "la la" land... visions and all ! Kindof fun actually.

Mara said...

I find that when I have had nothing going on in my life for a more than a week, my brain starts making up for it and causing me to dream the weirdest things. I even start sleepwalking! But when I am busy with work and other things, neither of these happen.
I don't think it's weird. Although the child on a toy-dragon is getting there...

troutbirder said...

Same story here. Except now with my new Lazy Boy and a book in hand I read a bit and then drift off to lala land. Or as I tell Mrs T. "I was just resting my eyes."...:)

Beatrice P. Boyd said...

Here, it is Grenville who regularly takes afternoon naps, and if he experiences any visions he hasn't shared them.