Cul de Sac by Richard Thompson for March 12, 2025

But does that work, Dil?

No, Dill, just no. Let’s not, please.

I have no recollection of participating in corporate napping in any context. Granted preschool was long ago, so I may have forgotten/suppressed it. Oh well, there was a summer theater where trainees had to attend class each morning. We were supposed to do calisthenics and then sleep for five minutes before starting work.

Man, I remember nap time in preschool still. Blue pads, a pillow encased in plastic. I was born with DSPD so that hour was wake up, fall asleep, wake up, fall asleep, wake up.

Once there were some children who wouldn’t take their naps, so Mr. Sleepyhead came by. You can imagine it doesn’t go well for him when he meets Alice.

Kindergarten for me was in an old lady’s home with a half dozen other kids. I remember snack time, nap time, and all of us holding onto a rope as we all walked down the street to visit other neighbors. I’m sure the house is still there in my home town in Massachusetts.

I thought his brothers would launch him in the catapult.

No. You’ve all got it wrong. All of you. If you can’t sleep get up. Go do whatever it is you’d be doing next. Coffee. Work. Etc. Just do it. When you do get sleepy, get in bed and go to sleep.

I remember doing that with my son. We’d get in the car with him bundled up and lying on the back seat (this was 1967 and there were no car seats they could sleep in) and drive around till he fell asleep—pretty quickly too.

When I started school there was no kindergarden, we just started school at 4 – 5 years old depending on your birthday.

You might get some peace and quiet, Miss Bliss.

Miss Bliss, you could drive and tell stories about Mr. Sleepyhead!

I distinctly remember bringing a rug to school for naps…do they even do that anymore? I can’t remember if I ever slept, though.

Kindergarten