Turns Out I’m A Medieval Peasant

.One of my favorite journalists is Derek Thompson, of The Atlantic and NPR and probably elsewhere. He writes and speaks about things that often are off our own personal radar, but which do have substantial effect, big picture. (And then do trickle down, to our day-to-day.) He is so good also at words and numbers both.

My inbox gifted me with a recent piece Thompson wrote for The Atlantic.

According to the article….basically, before industrialization, people seem to have slept episodically. Largely on straw. When needed, a few hours of sleep, then back to work. Then sleep again for a while and again back to work. I always have been that way (without the straw).

In my hometown bedroom I could read all night (and did).

In a graduate school all-nighter I had what must have been hallucinations, hearing (but most certainly not for real) the USC Marching Band just outside our building. (At that time I was going to the office at 4:00 in the morning most days. USC Marching Band not there at that time of day. Could find parking though.)

Years later my son and I would have the best long kitchen conversations at 2:00 or 3:00 in the morning while he was cooking.

Now I’ll let housework wait if I’m nah at 9:00 in the evening. The cleaning is not going anywhere anyway….will get done when gets done…probably 4:00 in the morning after I’ve had my episodic few hours sleep. Then start up Morning Edition, drag out broom and mop, Mrs. Meyers cleaning stuff.

Then sunrise, at desk. We are getting longer days now in Austin, with the most beautiful skies. Lots more light.