NOWRAMP
2002
The
Value of Naps
Pearl and Hermes Reef
Posted by `Aulani Wilhelm, Assistant Reserve Coordinator,
NWHI Coral Reef Ecosystem Reserve
September 27, 2002
Da--.da..da
--da..da -da..da..da..da - da - da -- da..da --da..da -da..da..da..da
- da, was what I awoke to this evening. Andy Collins and
Jim Watt strumming their respective guitars, with Carlos
Eyles playing back up on the bottom of the 5-gallon plastic
bucket. Not sure what song they were playing, but watching
them momentarily, sitting on buckets in their narrow cabin
made me smile. Harmony and friendship.
It
was a great rhythm to wake up to after a late afternoon
nap. Napping isn't something that us adults get to do very
much of anymore. Naps are rare treasures. But on NOWRAMP,
these naps are lifesavers. Whether they are comfortable
naps in your bunk when the ship is on anchor, or stolen
naps on the inflatable gunwale of the zodiacs taken during
the surface interval between SCUBA dives, or sneaky 10-minute
naps at the end of 3 dives but just before dinner - these
naps, when taken unabashedly, can be the best part of the
day.
This
may sound strange when compared to visiting vast coral reef
gardens of a giant atoll, swimming with dozens of circling
sharks, or hiking the sheer cliffs of an ancient volcanic
remnant (the other things we get to do on this trip) - but
the funny thing is, it is these naps that make the other
experiences even better.
Naps
give us the energy-boosts our bodies need to be able to
appreciate the beauty and intrigue of this 30-day expedition.
SCUBA diving, loading and offloading zodiacs, hiking, swimming
and simply standing when the ship is rocking in 10-foot
seas all take a toll on the body. A toll most of us do not
experience in our every day lives. Hence, the need for the
rare, and ono nap.
Western
society teaches us to feel guilty after a nap. Sleep is
for whimps, we learn. My European heritage twinges with
a bit of guilt each time I steal a mini-snooze, but the
Polynesian in me feels no remorse, only pleasure at the
renewed energy I feel. Never mind the evidence of crusty
saliva in the corner of my mouth, or the mark on my cheek
that the pillow-fold left behind when I wake up. On this
ship, I can proudly admit that I indulged. Nap-guilt is
for whimps.
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