Why you should stay in bed today

Thinking about getting out of bed early? Don’t, and this is why, Frances Whiting argues.

Good morning! How are we all this morning? What are your plans for today? Or, as one of my favourite poets, Mary Oliver might ask: “What is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?”

By the way, if you haven’t read any Mary Oliver, and are feeling a bit low, may I suggest her most well known poem The Wild Geese, and I guarantee it will not only make you feel better, there is a very good chance it will actually get you out the door to take that first step towards your wild and precious life.

Me? I plan to stay in.

A woman practising hurkle durkle.

In fact I plan to stay in, and hurkle durkle in bed all day long. And no, it’s not what you think; first of all this is a family newspaper, and secondly we’ve been married for 25 years.

The term Hurkle Durkle is in fact, a 200 year old Scottish word and it basically means to lounge around in bed long after it is time to get up. I imagine that it is from the Latin, Hurkle: to stay in, and Durkle: Like a lazy cow.

I also imagine it is somewhat easier for the Scots to hurkle durkle, given that it rains approximately 3000 days of the year there, but honestly you can do it anywhere, anytime, no matter the clime. And I plan to do it today.

Lately, things have been far, far busier than usual and I am a wee bit exhausted - also suddenly a wee bit Scottish, apparently.

And here’s the thing, there was a time when guilt would make me get up out of bed when the alarm rang. Also because apparently I have to work. But today is Sunday, and I do plan to stay in bed for long after it is time to get up. Or for as long as I can get away with it - and so should you.

Stay in bed for as long as you can get away with.

How long has it been since you’ve hurkle durkled? Again, this is not a euphemism.

How long has it been since you’ve just heard the alarm, or woken up and thought, ‘No, stuff it’, slid back down under the covers, and snuggled against the pillow? How long has it been since you’ve told everyone to leave you be for an extra hour or so, and just let you close your eyes, and rest. Or read? With a cup of tea by your side. And some toast with honey?

I don’t know about you, but personally I feel I am long overdue for some hurkle durkling.

We have another phrase for this in my family, by the way, courtesy of my mother. She calls it ‘stepping off the universe’, and it basically means the same thing.

To - just for an hour or two - remove yourself from the outside world, your worries, all the many demands on your life, and allow yourself to be lazy. To be slack. A ne’er do weller. A layabout. A lounger. A malingerer. In short, a hurkle durkler.

I know, it’s not easy, but if you can, join me in a little bit of hurkle durkling this morning. What a wonderful Scottish invention - honestly between that and the whiskey, it almost makes up for haggis.

FRAN LOVES: Wicked, on now at QPAC, with new tickets just released. Gosh, this is a brilliant production, both for Wicked newbies and seasoned witches. Leads Courtney Monsma and Sheridan Adams are Broadway standard.