To sleep, perchance to dream (or not)

It wasn't all that long ago that all the great unknowns in my life took place during the day. There were challenges at work, unexpected interactions with unusual people, heck, even a trip to the grocery store could be fraught with angst and excitement. Of course, night time had its own unknowns. Would there be sex? Would there be great sex? Was there a new episode of Law and Order on the teevee?

That being said, when looked at objectively, most of the great adventures in my small life took place when the sun was up.

Perhaps my day time life has gotten easier or even smaller and more predictable, but in the past year or so the night time mysteries have increased. Would I actually fall asleep? Would I fall asleep before Ron began to snore like the trombones in an elementary school band? Would I walk in my sleep and find myself standing nekkid in the garage at 3 AM?

Lately, the line between waking and sleeping has blurred. For example, a few nights ago I dreamt that I was doing something physically difficult. I'm not sure exactly what it was. I vaguely remember making 20 pounds of Buffalo wings and pulling heavy pans out of the oven, but how difficult could that be when it is all happening in dreamland?

In any case, I woke suddenly to find that the effort I had made in my sleep had translated into thudding pain in my lower back. Now I have finally learned to accept the fact that things I used to do easily and with grace have become more difficult than they were when I was younger. I walk with a cane, elevators are now my friends, and when offered assistance at Safeway, I am truly grateful.

I can deal with all of that. I am not though prepared to have dreams during the night produce physical pain during the day. My brain may be full of noodles, but at night, I should still be "faster than a speeding bullet, more powerful than a locomotive, and able to leap tall buildings in a single bound" without waking up feeling like I have done all those things, for real.

I am not prepared to spend my dream life smelling flowers in imaginary gardens and watching reruns on teevee. Not yet.