Beds, and The Places I’ve Slept

It’s very interesting to think about the places I’ve slept. I don’t often reflect on those moments or memories, but this assignment shined a little light on those dark memories (pun?).  My memories often tend to have a great story, but all of those great stories have a great deal to do with the place I slept that night. Maybe the day was great, but the night had me resting on a sidewalk or a public bathroom. Maybe the day was horrible, but I ended my day in a place of comfort and warmth. Sometimes the ending place is a continuation of the night before. Ha. The ending place. There are many places that I’ve slept that were great endings, some sad, some I wish I could forget. Maybe when I am 90.

I chose two pieces of fabric to represent just a few of my favorite places I’ve slept. First one I chose was a piece of pajamas that I wear every Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. It reminds me of the mornings of coffee, family, presents, food, fire, and all the wonderful times I’ve had over the holidays.  Most of my memories have been from visiting family, and sometimes mornings alone that make me feel like I am with family just because I was wearing these pj’s.  The second fabric I cut from an old uniform I wore when I was deployed to Afghanistan in 2009. This cloth represents a lot more than that deployment. It also represents all the nights I slept away from home. It even represents a lot of personal changes I endured over the 6 years I served. A lot of heart and hard work came from this material, which in turn caused me some sleepless nights but sometimes gave me the kind of sleep that almost makes you feel nonexistent.  I sleep a lot better these days thanks to the nights/places I’ve slept wearing this uniform.

Here are some sketches!