Friday, December 02, 2005

Memory of the Day

Sleeping Over?

I was a sleep-walker. Not sure when my last trek was. I've always had unusual sleep patterns. I think my 3rd-grade year was one of my worst years-I was being bullied at school. One night was so bad, Mom found me outside in our car, having tiptoed barefoot through snow to get there, never waking up!

Because of my sleep-walking, my folks were afraid to let me sleep-over anywhere. Mom became one of my girl scout leaders so that when we went camping, she would be with me.

In the 6th grade (I think), Elizabeth Brolinson had our first boy-girl dance party, followed by a sleepover for the girls. I got to go to the dance (woo hoo!), and hung out with the girls for a while, but then I had to walk home to spend the night, because Mom was afraid the excitement would cause me to sleep-walk. I hated being different.

In junior-high, Mom wasn't my girl scout leader anymore, and our troop was scheduled to go to visit Nauvoo, Illinois (not sure of spelling, but it was one of the Mormon settlement areas). Mom came up with a compromise for letting me go. I couldn't sleep with the girls in the tents, but had to sleep with the leaders in the pop-up camper. It was embarrassing. I hated being different.

I did get to spend the night at Dana Hope's house when I was around 8th grade. That was a big deal. The Hopes promised to keep an eye on me. As far as I know-there were no incidences. I think by then, I was starting to grow out of the sleep-walking phase.

Being different is no fun. I guess I have several things that would label me as "different." I hope being different has helped me be more sensitive to others who are different, because...it's no fun being different.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

I didn’t know you were being bullied in school back then! Of course, I would have only been in second grade myself, and all the way across town at the Primary School, so maybe that’s why I don’t remember. I definitely remember your sleeptalking and occasional sleepwalking, though! Many a night I would awake with a start to see your tall silhouette in the dark, getting out of bed to go who knows where. I started to know the difference in your way of moving, sleepwalking as opposed to just going to the bathroom. I would just tell you something like, “You need to get back in bed, Kathy”, and that usually was enough to convince you, I think.

Maybe your sleepwalking is the reason I am a light sleeper to this day! Always had to keep on my toes, even when asleep LOL.