Bedlam Farm Blog Journal by Jon Katz

It’s a distressing time for almost everyone, red or blue, Republican or Democrat.  There is so much arguing and anger.

There were other issues for us this summer. It was our most challenging time at Bedlam Farm. We often woke up too anxious to sleep, but we had help.

A few years ago, Maria and I both started having some trouble sleeping. We signed up for a sleep-and-anxiety-sleeping meditation music website called Calm. The website features guidance music and calming stories by different travelers and, in one case, a narration designed to “connect with the serenity of nature” as a popular author—Alan Sklar—guided us through Walden, Henry David’s mythic home and a great inspiration for me.

It sounded perfect to me; Maria liked it also.

Walden and Thoreau helped inspire my move towards nature and away from the familiar—the urban and suburban wife. Calm offers sleeping guides, music, and storytelling; it works well for us almost all the time and helps us get to sleep. I was excited to come across “Passages From Walden,” Sklar’s edited version of the famous book on Calm.

I’ve always admired Thoreau’s independence, love of nature, and solitary year at Walden (he built his cabin), which connected with me and my year in a cabin at the top of a mountain here while I sorted out my life. That year was the beginning of my spiritual life.

“Passages from Walden” sounded great. I turned it on my Iphone, and both settled down to be guided to sleep. I made it through the first sentence and fell asleep. Maria didn’t get that far. We’ve tried it again and again and again and fallen asleep instantly each time. On Calm, we’ve listened to cat stories, Beetle stories, fairy tales, and sleeping counselors and spent time listening.

But it turned out to be an anesthetic; it knocks both of us out in seconds. Thoreau got us sleeping, but not in the way we expected. I can’t explain it.

The words of Thoreau knock us out.

We have yet to make it to the third line of Sklar’s reading.  I love Thoreau; his book and writing have affected and enriched my life. Why would someone reading passages from Walden put both of us asleep instantly? The mind is fascinating to me; I never quite know what it is thinking. My apologies, Henry David; no offense.

I’ll try again tonight.