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The night world may be a quieter place but it’s hardly still. Like my mind as I sit in the darkness. When I churn the day’s events, or worry over something till I wear it down to dust, the way water wears away stones in the river.
I’ve come to understand what a gift that kind of sleeplessness can be...
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Related Pieces
Piece Description
The night world may be a quieter place but it’s hardly still. Like my mind as I sit in the darkness. When I churn the day’s events, or worry over something till I wear it down to dust, the way water wears away stones in the river.
I’ve come to understand what a gift that kind of sleeplessness can be...
Broadcast History
KPBX, Spokane Public Radio
Transcript
Nights are quiet but never still
Cheryl-anne Millsap
The Spokesman-Review
Tags: home planet
I guess I’m just wired that way.
The minute I lay my head on my pillow my mind surges with enough power to make the grid flicker. It doesn’t matter how tired I am, or how starved for sleep I am, part of me wakes up when the lights go out.
After a lifetime of dancing in the dark, you’d think I’d be used to it. But I still fight it almost every night, and I usually lose.
I have my rituals and my talismans, designed to make me sleepy: I take a hot bath. I don’t watch television and I try not to spend too much time in front of the computer before bed. I try to think serene, peaceful thoughts – sandwiched between the to-do lists and worrying about the children and why the dishwasher is making that odd sound – and I don’t eat spicy food late at night. I open the window to bring in fresh air and I...
Read the full transcript
Intro and Outro
INTRO: OUTRO:Cheryl-Anne Millsap writes for The Spokesman-Review in Spokane, WA. She is the author of "Home Planet: A Life in Four Seasons," and can be reached at catmillsap@gmail.com
