Un-homed But Not Unhinged: I Miss My Bed

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There鈥檚 no other way to say it. No version of sleeping on a floor, on a little foldable futon, or in the back seat of a van is truly comfortable. So lately the back has been a bit achy.

I wake up in the morning and move around a bit to test the severity. The days when I鈥檓 more tired are the days it hurts more or is simply stiffer. Granted some will say it is the nature of aging, and granted that is true to certain extents. However, it is definitely a function of the bed too.

The old mattress I had was a Serta. And though I can鈥檛 recall the model it was a thicker mattress with an additional padded layer on top. It was pricey but well worth it. I would definitely go in search of another one should opportunity (and home) arise.

But a bed also represents a place of refuge and safety, if not many other things we can all imagine. On a really bummer day, either from illness or crankiness, you want to go curl up in your bed and avoid the world. What if you don鈥檛 have one to flop into? Well therein lays the problem with un-homed status. You just have to suck it up and either seek a comfy spot exposed in the park, or make the most of the back seat. No matter how you look at it the therapeutic effect of curling up under the blankets isn鈥檛 there.

Fortunately years of tai chi and meditation practice has left me well equipped to mitigate the pain and discomfort of the back. But the discomfort in the mind still lingers. I may be clinging to the past here, but like I said鈥 I miss my bed.

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About the Author

  • Joe Bright
    Joe Bright
    Joe Bright is a graduate of Iolani School and went on to study art at The Cooper Union School of Art in New York City, and later Chinese medicine at The American College of Traditional Chinese Medicine in San Francisco. Joe currently runs a small acupuncture clinic, Kama鈥檃ina Acupuncture in Kapahulu as the first dedicated low-cost 鈥渃ommunity acupuncture鈥 clinic in Honolulu. Joe has a varied background that has included working as a bicycle mechanic, freelance artist, teaching calligraphy and Tai Chi, a nanny, and even a CEO of a small entrepreneurial company. He continues to create art, even having work recently appear at the Honolulu Academy of Arts as well the Bishop Museum. He also continues with entrepreneurial projects when possible and serves on the Board of Directors for a local Buddhist meditation organization, Vipassana Hawai鈥檌.
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