The Hazards of Cohabitation

Upon the occasion of the birth of our first child, we brought another consciousness into our bedroom: the ever-wakeful television. This presence has mixed reviews: Justin's intent was to bring entertainment to distract his mind from the day, while I have more of a sense of invasion. I have gotten used to it, but it has always remained an uneasy truce.

Right now as we live in the home of others, our bedroom is really a multipurpose room: sleeping location, office, and entertainment center. So I tolerate the tube. But I have come to a conviction that when we spread out into a traditional home once again, the TV will not be joining us in our sleeping quarters.

My reasoning for this is illustrated by an experience earlier this week. Justin was channel surfing; I was ready to call it a day and go to sleep. I closed my eyes and began the drift into slumberland. Almost immediately dream fragments began to float through my head like bits of torn tissue. First I was driving a car and saw the flashing lights of a police car behind me. I realized I was being pulled over for speeding; only I suddenly knew the officer approaching my car had some more malignant purpose in mind...

Disturbed, I rolled over into another dream bit. The images shifted, but the sense of danger still lurked. Suddenly I jolted upright in bed. This dream had ended abruptly as I hit a brick wall with fatal force. I've been told that this kind of scene indicates a dream of one's own death, from which one has to wake since we are not able to imagine what happens afterward.

Once I had fully shaken the remaining cobwebs off of myself, I realized Justin was still awake and watching a history channel re-enactment of a dogfight. At full volume, planes were swooping, missiles dropping, explosions rocking the ground... In a flash, I realized my dreams had been inspired by the military sequence. At my request the volume was lowered immediately and I resumed my journey toward sleep without further incident.

Suffice it to say, we can not get into a new place soon enough for me. I am trying to get us both weaned off the late night CRT emissions, to ease the transition. Because once the day of our freedom comes, we will also be free from the invader in our bedroom.