Deep Thoughts: A moment of blind panic

Tuesday, March 10, 2009

A moment of blind panic

I'm on the road for work. I've spent so many nights in hotels that I rarely have a problem sleeping. True to form, last night, I fell asleep early and slept deeply. At around 2:00 am a loud noise startled me from my sleep. I woke up confused and disoriented. I sat up in my bed in the dark and looked around the room in a panic. I did not know where I was. A movement caught eye, I reacted in typical fight or flight mode. I yelled, jumped up out of the bed and rushed what I thought was an intruder. The sound I made as I hit the wall and full length mirror was enough to wake the dead. The mirror broke, I fell to the floor seeing stars, and my right elbow hurt like hell. It was about then that I realized I was in a hotel.

A few minutes later there was people pounding at my door. My next door neighbor had called the front desk. The staff had arrived in full force. They all had a good laugh at my expense. I did not have to pay for the mirror. I'm such an idiot.

I was wondering if anyone else experiences the same kind of travel disorientation? I sure hope so...

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mikespeir · 840 weeks ago

This shows that you're deeply troubled, perhaps by guilt over your sins--maybe even demon possessed.

Seriously, I once moved into a new apartment and awoke during the middle of the night to find I had put my fist through the closet door. (Not real macho, mind you. It was one of those paper thin things.) I couldn't tell you why. I also had a new wife, who I think was a bit leery of me for a while.

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bigjohn756 21p · 840 weeks ago

I used to travel...a lot. During one of my typical weeks I arrived at my third emergency call of the week late Thursday evening, drove to the hotel and went to bed. I slept like the dead and awoke with a start to the alarm. Still tired and in a stupor, I didn't know where I was. Aha! I said, I'll look at the phone book in the bedside stand. Good idea! I found that I was in Albany, NY. OK! Now, if only I could remember why was I there. To find that out without embarrassing myself, I went to the plant, said hello to everyone, chatted for a while until someone mentioned the problem. Easy! I was back home in Chicagoland in time for Friday dinner with my family.

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2 replies · active 840 weeks ago

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Mojoey 107p · 840 weeks ago

Now that makes me feel better! Thanks for sharing.

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Dan Gilbert · 840 weeks ago

I've woken up disoriented before, but never to that extent. That's impressive.

Not to hurt your feelings or anything, but I had a good laugh at your expense, too. That'll make a great story at parties. ;-)

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(((Billy))) · 840 weeks ago

I had that happen to me last summer. Unfortunately, I was sleeping during the daytime. In a tent. In the middle of a fire camp. Highly embarrassing. I feel for you.

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2 replies · active 840 weeks ago

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Mojoey 107p · 840 weeks ago

I bet the other firfighters thought you were being attacked by a bear
or some such.

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(((Billy))) · 840 weeks ago

No. But one did ask if I had tented on an anthill (I didn't. I'm real careful about that since an unpleasant experience during Katrina down in Louisiana).

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Michelle Bell · 840 weeks ago

I've had a lot of instances where I'll forget to unset my alarm, go to bed really late and wake up completely disoriented. I have actually gone in on my day off because the alarm said to get up. That's a bit embarrassing. Perhaps if I lived farther away from home, or woke up before getting in my car.

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2 replies · active 840 weeks ago

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Mojoey 107p · 840 weeks ago

I've done the drive to work on a day off before. I've also done some
sleep driving where I become aware of where I am about 15 miles past
my exit.

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Personal Failure · 840 weeks ago

The first night I slept in my new house, I awoke in the middle of the night, saw that i was in an unfamiliar room, saw strange, shadowy shapes everywhere (unpacked boxes) and immediately began screaming.

Bad enough that my hubby and MIL came running, but I live in a quiet and very nosy neighborhood, it was midJuly so everyone's windows were open, and the police showed up, too.

I'm still famous as the women who screams for no reason.

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