My "detestable" habit

In Saturday’s post, I talked about the value of the afternoon power nap, to which a subscriber responded:

“Naps, in the sense of sleep during daytime, are detestable.”

de-test-a-ble. noun. deserving intense dislike

I’m not sure why my naps would be so deserving of intense dislike. You'd think I had a cocaine addiction, or, worse, that I was a TikTok junkie.

Naps seem innocent enough: A decade ago, I found that if I lie down on an exercise mat (or on a towel outside, on the ground, in the sun) after lunch, close my eyes and doze for twenty minutes, I wake up feeling like I've been reborn — blood circulating with a wonderful vibe from head to toes.

Angela Duckworth in her book, Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance, found that classical concert musicians who put in the most practice time were the ones who took an afternoon nap.

Just try sawing away at a violin when you're tired. You'll give up after a few hours.

The same is true for us writers. Writing, when you need a nap, is a form of torture. Writing, after a nap, is a form of bliss.

So, sadly, I don't think I'll be giving up my "detestable" habit anytime soon.

John C.A. Manley

PS Part of my secret to a truly recharging power nap is Bon Charge's black-out sleep masks. Check out its light-blocking design at: https://blazingpinecone.com/shop/black-out-sleep-masks 

John C. A. Manley is the author of Much Ado About Corona: A Dystopian Love Story, the forthcoming All The Humans Are Sleeping and other works of speculative fiction. Get free samples of his stories by becoming a Blazing Pine Cone email subscriber at: https://blazingpinecone.com/subscribe/