Monday, 24 February 2014

I Manage My Emotions

I read somewhere today that managing one's emotions means hiding them.  I disagree. In my experience, managing emotions mainly involves taking them seriously, eating risotto, and getting enough sleep.

At a point I can't identify, my sons' bedtime became later than mine.  What is difficult about this transition  is that, even though they both regularly put their arms around my waist and lift me off the floor, I am reluctant to go to bed before they are safely tucked up.

When I was five years old, my parents imposed a bedtime of 6.30pm.  I'm sure I had a bedtime before this, but I can't remember what it was.  From this point,  it increased with my age by half-hourly intervals, until they lost track.  On that basis, I have probably circled the clock several times now, which explains the inclination I sometimes have to go to bed at two-thirty in the afternoon.  Once, this desire came upon me so strongly that I had to lie on the floor just where I was and sleep for ten minutes.  (It may have been longer, but the sign I put on the door said 'Back in 10 minutes'.)   I lay under my desk to be sure no one trod on me.

No one sets my bedtime these days, but I know when I have gone to bed after it.


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