Sunset’s just my light bulb burning out

*before I return to my foray with rockstars... a bit about sleep.

It’s amazing that I continue to sleep the way I do. I’m not saying I’m a ‘heavy’ sleeper, because sounds and such wake me all the time; it is the act of getting to sleep that I can perform with superhuman abilities. When asked what my superpower would be if I were ever granted superhero status, I often reply “the ability to sleep soundly whenever I want”. I say this because I already have this ability – so it’s easy to imagine. And I’m attracted to the idea of dressing as a normal ‘metrosexual’ New York man during the day, but ducking into phone booths (as if they still existed) to change into flannel pajamas and a fleece throw-blanket cape.

I admit to the fear of becoming a victim of comfort – cerebrally concocting a reality in which I’m protected from loses, and thus can sleep soundly. Where each day starts anew; all worries and sins of yesterday (or yesteryear) are absolved. Where aspect of life that should prevent me from sleeping at night (thoughts of lost loved ones, people homeless, tired and poor, past mistakes and pains, worry about the state of the planet, the economy, the country) are dead-bolted out. For the most part I have to be REALLY personally unnerved to lose sleep. I have lost sleep over the last few months. Life changes and uncertain outcomes of life decisions have put pits in my stomach, and peas under my mattress. Luckily these are subsiding and sleep is once again returning.

Sleeping in the city even has become a relative piece of cake. It wasn’t easy. NYC has an amazing ability to fool people into believing that man creates time, temperature, and seasons. That man allows the sun to fuel us during the day and then gladly contracts ConEd to provide energy at night… for a price. Singer/songwriter Ryan Adams spent a lot of time in NYC and put it well when he penned, “sunsets just my light bulb burning out”. Regardless, please don’t fret too much about me not sleeping well these days. Despite the screaming children, banging trashcan lids, neurotic Dominicans with whistles, drunks with bottles, loud buses, taxis, rats, cats, dogs and tamale vendors, I still manage to sleep fairly well.