Sunday 6 July 2008

Lost in the dark - wake woke woken


Absolutely nothing to do with the subject



Saturday night: could have been around three in the morning; I was suddenly waking up. Ok, let's go to the toilet, the time of the chamber pot is over for more than sixty years.

So I started fishing for my slippers in the dark. They did not seem to be really where they should be - propped against the wall - but soon enough I had them on my feet and stood up.

Turning to the right made me collide with something like a lamp shade. Looking around in my pitch dark surroundings I saw some light filter through the window shutters.

Going to the window seemed the reasonable thing to do. I am an old hand going to the toilet at night without any light and the window has always been an important landmark. Even in a moonless night it is never totally dark outsite.

Touching the window frame I was a bit astonished of its feel. Seemed to be somehow metallic cold instead of wood but anyway, from here on I know where to go. From the window to the right and this I did.

Two steps further on I had another collision with something, don't know what.

So I went back to the window - what else should I do - and took the other direction. On my left I felt the edge of the bed. That was reassuring so I just carried on. Straight ahead, right for the door of this room.

I never managed to make it to that door. Instead I banged into something I could not define. Now I was really in panic. WHERE AM I AND WHAT IS GOING ON HERE??



This is the room where it happened - made the pic five minutes before leaving


My blundering around was far from noiseless and finally my wife woke up and asked "what are you doing?". "I don't know where I am". I imagine she would switch the light on and I "saw" another difficulty coming up. There is no switch on her side of the bed, only on mine. So we'll soon be groping together through this bewitched room.

Hardly had I finished this thought the light came on: I was not at home at all but in my in-law's guest-room! Felt a bit foolish. "From now on I can manage", I told her "you can switch off the light". Well, well. Five stressful minutes are laying behind me.

Back in my bed I could not find sleep. Then I hit on the idea to relate this night stunt in my blog and started composing my text right away. "Suddenly I wake up at night". Then the word wake seemed strange, should it be "woke" instead? Wake, woke, waken, or better wake, woke, waked, or maybe wake, woke woken? These grammatical exercises had an immediate effect. I was fast asleep in no time.

Good night to everybody and don't forget to remember where you are. Could come handy.



13 comments:

  1. Hi Georg,

    Disorientation in your in-law's place is normal. It happens to the best of us!

    Have you ever woken disoriented about time after an afternoon nap, thinking that there is something wrong with the morning...why is darker than usual? Have I got up early?

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  2. Thanks, Vinod, you are a brick. Feeling better now, so it was not a bout of early Alsheimer.

    Georg

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  3. Sounds like you were in a very deep sleep to forget where you were!

    Staying at the in laws will do that anyway you know! ; )

    Cheers!

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  4. It's an awful feeling! That I know for sure, and also it can happen just about anywhere, even when camping alone, so it's not something that gets triggered by the -in-law venue, hehe

    As for Alzheimer's...that doesn't happen so long as you have all these creative outpourings on your blog!

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  5. imagine having a nap in a park and a sparrow looks down at you almost near your eyes and you are surrounded by squirrels!

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  6. Fortunately I don't nap in parks. Come here again and imagine another dream for me, Anrosh.

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  7. I have had more embarassing incident's in my uncle's house, simply because I was in really deep sleep and too disoriented. Too embarassing to be narrated here!!!!

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  8. vinod_sharma ur pic looks scary

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  9. Ya it does, till you see it in a bigger size. Thanks for saying what many must have felt, but kept quiet about.

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  10. Hi,I'm thinking what would happen if Rozana and I were in that dark room and she started crying and I was colliding here and there till I reach her for hugging!!!!!!!
    Thanks God it was you not me :))

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  11. Hi everybody,

    Well, just back from holidays in the Alps, paragliding, walking and visiting.

    To this anonymous: I very much like Vinod's picture. It does not look scary at all but is impressive. I imagine Vinod to be an Indian General or at least a Colonel.

    To Somi: as you said. But starting to sleep in Tehran and waking up in France might be a very scaring experience. And then you have to pay for the return ticket.....

    Georg

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  12. So funny!

    Bonjour George, long time no visit, hope all is well with you and your family.

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