Put Tired In Perspective

I didn't sleep that well last night.  Nothing terrible but I slept better this weekend when the alarm clock didn't wake me up. Even an hour less of sleep at night affects me pretty strongly. I'm older.  Sleep is more important than it was when I was younger. In speaking with a friend today about the good old days when we both worked at nursing homes, I remembered being really tired.  I was in high school at the time. I worked the night shift on Friday and Saturday nights starting at 11 pm and going home at 7 in the morning.  I was making big bucks, maybe $1.50 per hour. On Fridays I would go to school all day, take a nap,and head to work at 11pm.  In the morning after work I would walk home and go to bed.  I would get up about 9 pm on Saturday night, eat something, and walk to work, come home on Sunday and sleep all day.  I remember my Mom worrying about me because all I did all weekend was work and sleep.  I walked to work, which wasn't far, only a mile or so away.  One Sunday morning in the summer I was on my way home. I was passing a nearby house that was unusual because 3 sides of the house had one color scheme and the side away from the house was painted a different color.  I plodded home past this house dead tired. Right foot. Left foot.  The tiredness I felt today doesn't come near the tiredness I had that morning walking home from work after working all night.  So anyway, there I was in my white nursing uniform and white nursing shoes walking home when POW!  Something struck me really hard right in the middle of my chest.  Ouch!  What the hell?  Was I shot by a gun? I remember to this day how scared I was after being struck in the chest.  Hmmm, no, not a gun, I was attacked my a mailbox securely planted in the ground on the boulevard. A mailbox got me. The flag was down. I was so tired I walked right into a mailbox without  seeing it. I shook off the fear of being attacked and felt the fear of someone seeing me do such an awkward thing.  My eyes must have been closed.  I was sleep walking home.  Now that, dear reader, is tired.