How do you sleep? Do you sleep? Do you dream? Do you remember your dreams?
So much of our time, perhaps a third of our lives (if we subscribe to eight hours per day) is spent in sleep. Or in search of sleep. A time to rest and rejuvenate. A time to work out anxiety. To let everything go. At least until morning.
Do you go to bed late or get up early? Are you one of those that does both — someone who can function perfectly well on four or five hours of sleep a night?
There are rituals around sleep. Prayers (Now I lay me down to sleep…) and lullabies (Go to sleep, go to sleep, go to sleep little baby…). What were your rituals growing up and what are your rituals now?
Sleep on it. Dream about it. And when you wake up, and when you’re fresh, write about sleep. Write everything you know about sleep. Write the word SLEEP in captial letters at the top of your page and then write. For fifteen minutes. Don’t stop writing until your time is up.
Be awake to Sleep.
Counting Sheep, watching the churro sheep through the fence post at the Harvest Festival, last day of September, photo © 2007 by ybonesy. All rights reserved.
redravine.wordpress.com 
Wow, just a glimpse at the photo made your topic on sleep the unforgettable event.
A story is old as our earth, but the picture presents it as the greatest discovery – and it is the such in the essence. That’s the perception of the question, what does sleep mean?
Your post have helped me in discovery the new colors in my old artwork. Thank you. Lets rejoice together at the whispering of the palette on http://trans4mind.com/karkalas now
LikeLike
Great topic, sloWalker. And since I had a few sleepless nights over the weekend, I can get on board with writing about sleep (or the lack of) this week. Maybe I’ll write about all the reasons I can’t sleep!
BTW, that’s a beautiful photograph, yb. I love the play with depth of field. And the blue-tinged edges of the bark. You should add the Photography category to this one, too. Are you posting more photos from the Harvest Festival on your Flickr account? Or planning to write about it on red Ravine?
LikeLike
Thanks, QM. It was accidental. I kept trying to get the sheep to be in focus, and then when I looked at it and saw that it still resembled a sheep (yet, like in an inscription or emblem), I was glad it didn’t focus. See, I’m learning from you!
I didn’t get very many photos at the festival. I was too busy “festivaling” ; – ). But I might post one or two others. Not sure I’ll write about it. I might about the “Quincenera” I went to on Sat evening. That was a cultural experience for sure!
LikeLike
yb, the background is a lot like a familiar car emblem. 8) Symbols are so powerful. I’m glad you enjoyed the festival rather than snapshooting your way through. I find that sometimes I can’t do both. Some days I’ll say to Liz, “Today, I’m just going to enjoy being here. No photos.” It has to be a conscious decision for me.
I hope to read more about “Quincenera” in your upcoming posts (if you are so moved). I know how it goes with this kind of writing. We write what moves us day to day. And sometimes the moment passes.
LikeLike
Ah, yes, it’s the Dodge Ram. Is that the one?
Thanks for being so forgiving on what I say I’m going to write about and what I actually write about ; – ).
LikeLike
yb, about the 1st sentence, yeah, you got it – Dodge Ram. I do kind of miss the classic hood ornaments of yesteryear.
About the 2nd, ditto. 8)
LikeLike
To QM, YB, and SW:
I wrote a post linking back to this practice about sleep:
http://mariacristina.wordpress.com/2007/10/04/to-sleep-is-to-dream/
I wrote for 15 minutes, and then didn’t change a thing except spelling. I decided to post it, even though I was afraid the essay would make me sound like a veteren from the “unicorn and dolfin” crowd. I do have that side to me,but I also love George Carlin. 🙂 Sleep is a huge topic. We could probably put our heads together and write an amazing anthology on it.
LikeLike
mariacristina, thanks for the link to your practice. No worries about the unicorn & dolfin crowd…I can relate! Your practice reminded me of the gods and goddesses of sleep. Down through the centuries – we’ve all had to sleep.
It is a fascinating topic. I still have to do my practice. Maybe sometime this weekend when I can’t sleep. I’m such a night owl. But I shall remember your words – to sleep is to dream…
LikeLike
I’m thrilled! I just discovered how to keep up with the thread of a conversation through the “my comments” link! Sweet dreams. 🙂
LikeLike
[…] -From topic post, Writing Topic – Counting Sheep […]
LikeLike
[…] -from Topic post, Writing Topic – Counting Sheep […]
LikeLike
Here is the link to The Individual Voice’s practice on this Topic, Sleep Never Comes (mentioned in the post link in Comment 11 above):
http://theindividualvoice.blogspot.com/2007/10/sleep-never-comes.html
tiv, I also left a comment on your practice on TIV. Thank you for writing with us!
LikeLike