Party

About ten years ago, I was able to go out with my friends to various places, drinking various drinks and staying out late into the evening. I had various jobs that kept me working past midnight, sometimes past 3 AM. I had no problem with this. I could get up the next morning around eleven or noon, and be ready to stay up late again.

Today, I require a certain amount of introverted relaxing time after the activities of the day are over. The kids go to bed, and I crochet or read (or try to crochet and read at the same time) or I do puzzles and read (or try to do puzzles and read at the same time). My husband also requires this introverted relaxing time, and usually we sit in the same room, engaged in our separate activities but still able to spend our time together.

If the day runs long, I still need that certain amount of relaxing time, whether we get the kids to bed right at 8 o’clock or come home from family activities late and have to put extra tired fussy kids to bed. No matter when my relaxing time starts, I don’t sleep until it has lasted the sufficient amount of time. So if it’s 9 pm when I fall asleep with my kindle in my hand, it’s 9 pm. If it’s midnight when my husband shuts the lights off and demands I go to sleep, then it’s midnight. But the days are gone when I can sleep until eleven or noon. And even if I could, I’d still be exhausted and growly when I woke up.

I like that times have changed, but sometimes I wish I could bring some of that 21 year old energy to my 31 year old day. Especially when I’ve stayed up late partying.

Somebody buy me this shirt.