As the bed is, so the head is.

An acquaintance of mine who lived in some dire circumstances in her youth always makes her bed right upon rising. It's in part an act of gratitude for having a bed of her own, something that was not always the case. Also, she tells people, "As the bed is, so the head is," meaning that there is a direct connection to one's daily mental state and starting the day with an act of ordering chaos, knowing that the properly composed bed awaits upon completion of the day.

Uh-oh.

By nature I'm a slob, and if left to my own devices the bed would look like Oscar Madison's all the time.

How did he ever lure a date from his little black book to his room with a bed like that? He must have just gone to her place instead.

Never mind him; I am a slob about the bed, but my wife isn't -- or wasn't. She always insisted on making the bed right away. Once we got Dog 1, things changed. Now we had a critter who had to go potty NOW, especially when we got him as a little pup, and there was no time to waste on neatness. So, the bed would usually get made... at bedtime. It only got worse when Dog 2 joined the pack.

This stuff plays on my mind sometimes.

A few days ago I was looking in the mirror and saw a face that was not my own looking back. In this dream I was a different person, a bit younger and in good shape, and I and my surroundings were completely pin-neat. I'm sure this comes from reading too many comic books in my youth: I somehow realized that I had switched bodies with some other guy and in time it would be rectified. That made me a little sad, because this person clearly was much more together in every way than I, the slob, am. But what made me sadder is that I realized that in time my old habits, my way of thinking, would ruin this body as well, putting on weight, biting the nails, dressing in sweats all day when possible instead of the neat suit I had on.

After I woke up I considered that maybe the "my body is a temple" people had something. If I treated myself the way I would a borrowed car, I might take better care of myself. And that goes for my surroundings. I wouldn't leave books all over the place if I were staying at someone else's home. And I would definitely make sure the bed was made in the morning.

But, in the end, my habits are mine, and are thoroughly ingrained, and no matter where you go, there you are. I've turned over new leaves before, and next thing you know they had turned themselves back. I've tried to run away from me sometimes, but I always took me with me. So I can't say my dream got me to change the bad habits of a lifetime.

I will say that as I write this, the bed is made, and I did it myself! And that's all because I'm writing this, and I was darned if I would do it while the bed was mocking me with its hollow beddy laughter. So for today, the bed is neat, and I hope the head is too.

And if not, I guess I can blame the dogs for that as well.