A Curious Thought

It’s odd to awake each morning as the same J. P. Woodcock. Sleep and dreams are such exotic affairs you might think that on just one of these mornings J. P. (that would be me) would awaken to a whole new sense of sensibilities. I might awaken as a Sultan for just one morning or maybe a high wire acrobat. I would find myself in such new circumstances I might be able to lose my old crusty personality for at least one day and see the world as a ship captain or as a guy who changes tires.

Yet, as mathematically impossible as it is, I awaken each morning as Mr. J.P. Woodcock, the Lord of my Domain. Yes J.P. Woodcock is king of all that he can see. Purveyor of the infinite as long as you can fit the infinite within the walls of my office. For you see I am a micro-economist and my wind wanders in the morning as I awake..

But back to science. Doesn’t it seem likely that a man could go into sleep as his same old self and after years and years of being that same person with the same temperament and the same thoughts it seems more than reasonable that you could awake from a series of entertaining dreams and find yourself being a different person.

An aviator would be nice. You could fly among the clouds in a small plane searching for new adventures in Africa or setting speed and endurance records crossing the Pacifac Ocean.

J.P. Woodcock would like to announce to the world that this idea of transformation should be studied by the world’s greatest minds. These minds should come together in my apartment and we should all drift off into dreams and more universal thoughts. As we awoke in the morning scientists would be watching us and prodding us into new personality paradigms and our transformation would be completed under strict supervision.

I am not recommending a complete shift into a new personality. I am merely suggesting that we be able to jump out of our lives 2 or 3 times a year to liven up this dull routine of being the same J.P. Woodcock day in and day out.

I began to have these considerations as a child and as I became a teenager I truly would spend hours wanting to transform myself a few times to change into some one else who might be more fun than the former Mr. J.P. Woodcock Jr.

Think about it. Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday you are the same old J.P. whose problems have problems and then on Wednesday night you go to sleep and Thursday you wake up as P.J. Brownstone and you have to spend the next few days sorting through P.J.’s thoughts and by the time you are tired of being P.J. you wake up Saturday morning as a refreshed J.P. Woodcock. Tanned and rested to enjoy your weekend.

And don’t start thinking Dr. Jeckel and Mr. Hyde. Those conditions are terrifying to Mr. J.P. Woodcock. No siree. I am not talking about any Victorian psychology. No, I am speaking of pure entertainment for the soul.

Sincerely, though, it’s hard to believe that this event has not taken place before. Think of it. All of the people on the planet going to sleep at night and not one of them awakens as some one else. What are the chances of this my dear friend.

Over and under,

J.P. Woodcock