Don't Startle The Dragon

I remember times in my life when I wasn't tired. Like when I was 11. Those were great times.

When I first married my sweetheart, I used to love the late night hours when the neighborhood was silent. In the dark, we would talk for hours. I would share my most special memories and deepest dreams about our future. He was usually asleep. I didn't know that then.

The point is that I was awake. And alert. I even remember laying in my bed wide awake just wishing I could fall asleep as I watched the time on the clock get later and later. I was alert. Was is the word I would like to stress. Because that hasn't happened for awhile.

Nowdays about 2 in the afternoon I begin counting the hours until bedtime and wondering if I will be able to make it. I fall asleep instantly, and good luck trying to wake me up in the middle of the night for any type of emergency.

We took a trip to Texas over spring break, and it was wonderful. We had some great family time that included one member of the family laying on an exercise ball while the other members of the family kicked the ball. We aren't hard guests to entertain. While we were there, Mike and I decided to go for a drive by ourselves. I was the navigator as we boldly faced the Dallas traffic, and everything was going smoothly. Until his phone rang. And he answered it. At that moment I considered myself off of navigator duty. He was otherwise occupied, and I know from many years of marriage experience that talking to him while he carries on a phone conversation is impossible. So I shut my eyes.

But I opened them very wide when Mike violently shook my shoulder.
"DON'T STARTLE THE DRAGON!" I yelled.
"What?"
"Oh," I said, slowly realizing that I was looking into my husbands confused face. "I mean, why did you shake me?'
"Because you're the navigator and I think we just missed our turn! Why are you ignoring me?"
"I didn't see you."
"You were staring straight ahead."
"My eyes were shut."
"With your sunglasses on I couldn't see your eyes. Didn't you see me gesturing to the road?"
"No."
"Didn't you see me pointing to the signs and asking which exit we wanted to take?"
"No."
"I was wildly and frantically pointing."
"I was asleep."
"You couldn't possibly have fallen asleep in the amount of time it took me to answer the phone, tell Danny I'd call him back, and hang up."
"I think I did."
"You were asleep? In like 3 seconds?"
"Apparently."
"And dreaming about dragons?"
"APPARENTLY."

I guess I am tired.