Late Nights

This is the season of late nights, drinks, conversations and surprises.
I have been on minimal sleep since christmas eve - with guests and unexpected people showing up at the door an hour before bedtime. When you are younger, it's easy to stay up and function on almost zero sleep. Obviously, I do not fall within that category, because I feel like I'm swimming in this huge pool of people!
I suppose people could survive without much food, but aside from the intake of fluids, sleep is very much a pre-requisite to being functional. Late nights means when I wake up the next morning, my body tells me it's still night and refuses to get the gears in motion. Late nights mean that when I walk, I feel like I'm floating in a mass of people. Late nights mean my responses to conversations become less interesting. Late nights mean I'm unlikely to react on time.
Finally - late nights mean it's christmas season.
Which in turn means the fresh new year is just around the corner.
Which in turn means new challenges, new outlook and new problems.
Thankfully, christmas season lasts all but 14 days, at the maximum - otherwise I'll be sure to be away the next time this season shows up on the calendar.
It's not selfish, not wanting to socialise during this festive period - it's ageing that's doing the talking.