The difference is, we wake up

There are times when I realize I have fallen asleep. Not in my bed or sitting in my chair, but just in life. I am walking and talking and smiling and working. And I am asleep. And it’s intentional. Because that sudden gasp of air and wide-opened eyes that come when you wake up might be too much. It might be too much to look around and see how this world really is—and where I am in it.

But I must. Because feigning sleep is a child’s response. And I can’t claim that innocence.