I probably shouldn't be giving out so much information in a blog, but the relative anonymity combined with the basic goodness of the people who do know enough about me to find me make it OK to share. My dad has been out of town, and my brother is still away at college and will be for awhile because baseball season runs a bit late, so my mom and I have been bacheloretting (I reserve the right to invent words or new forms of them on the spot) it for a few days. This is not a problem for the most part, but it makes sleeping a little difficult for me.
Specifically, sleeping at home at night without a male in the house, or (not to be sexist) at least without a female warrior such as my Aunt Andrea who could kick any armed intruder's butt, tends to bring on the nightmares for me. Monday night, or I think it was Monday, anyway (I'm growing sleep-deprived to the extent that discenring one day from the next is difficult) my Aunt Jillian called and had my psychiatrist, who's a close friend of the family and lives just a few blocks from us, come spend the remainder of the night. Last night I toughed it out. For tonight, Jillian sent her brother Tim to sleep over. Incidentally, Jillian is home from the hospital and is on the mend.
I'm not sure what's happening tomorrow. Maybe I'll sleep perfectly well and it won't be an issue. Then again, maybe I won't. My dad will be home on Friday night.
This is something with which I must learn to deal. My dad or the other kind males who've either slept over or come to my house in the middle of the night can't be traveling to wherever I end up for med school or, in a worst-case scenario, law school. I do OK in dorms, but it's not really normal to live in dormitories when you're in med or law school.
Perhaps I'll find a trustworthy male roommate. It doesn't have to be just he and I, if the situation makes my parents feel awkward. We could get a three- or four-bedroom house, condo, or apartment, and have a combination of males and females. It's not like the days of Three's Company, when Jack Tripper rooming with two girls (in separate bedrooms, no less) had to pretend to be gay to avoid the living situation being considered scandalous.
I suppose the situation would be the same as it is now when the make roommate happened to be gone for the night, which he probably would be a least on occasion, but that would be better than being scared or having nightmares every single night.
I have a little while to work out that situation. Right now I just have t deal with what happens when my dad is out of town. I wish one of my male cousins (not one of the crazy fanatical LDS ones; I do have normal cousins as well) would attend my university and live with us (much cheaper than the dorms). He could come as go as he pleased as long as he agreed to come home at some point during the night on the nights my dad was out of town. It would be a good deal.
For now, I'm just glad Tim is here tonight. He just got here, so I can sleep now.
That is a pretty serious problem. If I didn't know how busy law or medical school would keep you, I'd suggest you get yourself a male dog. It's nice that you have so many friends and family members who are willing to stay over.
ReplyDeleteOr, you could do what I did when I was in grad school, and get an apartment on campus. It was a lot like living in a dorm, except I had my own kitchen and bathroom.
An on-campus apartment would be my first choice.
ReplyDeleteMy suggestion is take a self defense class. Or five. Empower yourself, be your own protection. You won't win a boxing match, but they'll show you how to keep yourself as safe as possible.
ReplyDeleteI'm sorry for all the shitty things that have happened to cause this.