Napping - a bad habit or wondrous enlightenment?
Greetings blog followers,
I realise it has been quite a while since we last spoke, but I am back today to bring you another blog on the cutting edge of contemporary issues. Just briefly, a quick explanation for my long absence: after Pigsys last blog I thought I would give the world a moment to catch up with what she said. It was such a good blog that views rocketed, compliments came flying in and J-Dawg got worried about his position being usurped. Nevermind, I am back now at the mid-point of an end of exam, all week mad one to speak to you about the contentious subject of napping. *Disclaimer: the following is slightly exaggerated and despite this, however it may appear, I am not a bit odd, and incapable of going through a day without a quick sleep.*
No day is so bad it can't be fixed with a nap. (Unknown)
I have always been napping's number one fan. Those who have known me for a long time will be more than used to the sight of me catching a bit of shuteye in the afternoon. As a child, a day wasn't complete without a brief siesta to escape the scorching west-midland sun. When I first started primary school and the teachers tried to drum napping out of us children, while others bowed to social convention and grew up, I maintained my napping habits like the Peter Pan of the napping world. I continued to grow and I found my days became more busy, full of extremely taxing activities and things to do. Here, naps became more important: fuel, as it were, to help me to pursue the rest of the day without fear of fatigue or lethargy. Now I have arrived at university, I have been united with kindred napping spirits. For at school, I was very much in the minority. People used to say 'J-Dawg, why are you snoozing on the sidelines of the rugby pitch?' or 'Why do you never attend the first two lessons after lunch most days of the week?' Here at university, I can count no less than 6 people on my floor alone who are known to enjoy a casual relaxatory moment. G-Shady, at the forefront of nap-discovery and an icon to those of us who get grumpy without a nap, has been known to spend whole afternoons asleep, in blissful peace, with nothing to worry about, save when to wake up for food. She is a hero, defying cultural norms and rejecting stereotypes, blazing a way to a brighter, happier and more refreshed future.
For I genuinely feel for people who are incapable of taking time out in the day to lie down, close their eyes and have a few moments rest. The day does not need to be so busy that they cannot find time for themselves. As Elliot Reid says in Scrubs: 'You need to take care of yourself before you can begin to take care of others.' If you go through the day without a break, you can end up quick-tempered and irritable, unco-operative and unhelpful.
I can however see why some people are anti-napping, and therefore, why we will never get along. It could be argued that naps are a waste of a day; that they bring about odd sleeping patterns and leave people irritatingly uncontactable for large periods of the day. To these people, I say imagine a world where everyone rushes around, the only thing to look forward to being getting drunk at the pub on a friday and waking up with a sore head on saturday, then facing another whole week of rushing round without the bigger picture in mind.
To nap is to take a leaf out of the 'Underachiever's Manifesto' (a small book available on Amazon, well worth a read). In his book, Ray Bennet describes the flaws in our target driven, egotistical society, where if you haven't given everything 110% you may as well not have tried.
Take a step back, get a fresh perspective. 24 hours is a long time and days can get super-tiring.
I'm off to have a nap, all this typing has made me tired.
Peace,
J-dawg