Читать книгу Still Standing - Bucky Sinister - Страница 17

When I got sober, I was still sleeping on the same lumpy futon that I had been passing out on for years. I bought that futon used from another drunk for twenty bucks. Between that and the ratty couch that had suffered many generations of punks and cats, I slept fine with the aid of some of Kentucky's finest bourbon. But soon after getting sober, I slept at someone else's house, and that someone had a fancy mattress made from foam. I laid down on it, and eight hours later I awoke thinking I had slept for days. “What the hell?” I thought. I never slept through the night back then. I thought I had some sleep disorder that prevented me from getting a good night's rest. I did have a sleeping disorder. It was called a futon. Drinking two pints of whiskey every day made it easy for me to sleep anywhere: couches, floors, bathroom stalls, offices, at the wheel, you name it. But sober was another matter. Look, if you're spending one third of your time sleeping, make it worthwhile. Treat yourself right. Having a bed that's not right is like having shoes that don't fit. And although you may not have been able to help the shoe and bed situation before, you can now.

Buying a bed can be costly, and perhaps out of your price range when newly sober. But beds are also a pain to get rid of. Most thrift store type places won't take bedding. Your best bet is to get a secondhand one from someone in your fellowship who is getting a new one. Trust me; the used bed will be better than what you've been sleeping on. A couple who has just moved in together is likely to be getting rid of one of their beds.

A mattress on the floor is a vestige of drug life. Outside of a creepy drug house, it looks, well, creepy.

A mattress on the floor does not count as a bed. That is nothing more than a mattress on the floor. It's regal in a squat, perhaps, but you can do better. A mattress on the floor is a vestige of drug life. Outside of a creepy drug house, it looks, well, creepy.

One more tip: Buying a bed is like buying a car. You don't have to pay retail. The price is negotiable. Get a good price, then comparison shop. I saved up $500, and then went from place to place asking what I could get in a full size mattress and box spring for that price, including tax and delivery. Anyone who couldn't play ball got a walkout from me. I finally found a mattress marked down from $1,000 to $750, and they gave me that one for $500.