The Bedtime Story I Never Got to Hear

Ah, bedtime. Growing up it was something I would dread; why do I have to go to bed now!? But as I got older, it became something I looked forward to. Being an insomniac, I love to get a good sleep. It doesn’t come often, but when it does, it’s amazing.

I remember growing up and having trouble sleeping. I’d always complain to my dad:

“Dad, I can’t sleep!” I’d huff and come out of my bedroom.

“You just need to try. Try and close your eyes” he’d tell me. I’d roll my eyes, and plop down on the couch in front of him.

“I have tried” I would defend, and I look back and can’t imagine how frustrating these conversations must have been, especially so frequently.

“Don’t try too hard. Just let it happen” he would say.

“But you told me not to try!” I would complain. Thinking back on these conversations now, it’s hard not to laugh. It became a staple response whenever I’d talk about my insomnia.

“Well, I hope you don’t try. You know what they say about trying…”

When I was really young, he would come in and tell my sister and I stories. Well, that was the goal anyway.

There were a few bedtime stories he used to tell us, and I’m going to share them all with you.

I’ll tell you a story about Johnny Mcgorey…. Now my story’s done.

I’ll tell you another, about his brother… now my story’s done.

How about one about his mum?… now my stories done.

He would repeat the story of Johnny Mcgorey and his various aunts, uncles, mother, father, sisters and brothers… but that’s all the story was.

We always made it a habit to ask for a story, but to make sure to mention “and not about Johnny Mcgorey or any single one of his relatives!” My dad would simply chuckle, before telling us another short story.

Have you ever heard of the meatball? The poor meatball that fell off the plate, right on the floor, out the door and down the street? That one was a classic.

It starts off with someone losing their meatball off of their plate when someone sneezed, and ended with a reminder to not sneeze the next time you got a meatball on your plate.

On top of spaghetti all covered with cheese

I lost my poor meatball when somebody sneezed

It rolled off the table, it rolled on the floor

And then my poor meatball rolled out of the door

It rolled in the garden and under a bush

And then my poor meatball was nothing but mush.

The mush was as tasty as tasty could be,

And early next summer it grew to a tree.

The tree was all covered with beautiful moss

It grew great big meatballs and tomato sauce.

So if you eat spaghetti all covered with cheese,

Hold on to your meatball and don't ever sneeze.

Writer: Tom Glazer

It was less of a story and more of a song, but sometimes in my house that was the same thing. Nothing was better than a good bedtime song, or story.

As for Johnny Mcgorey… well, I guess we’ll never know the end to his story. As much as I yearned for that story to end, it never gained any more details. It simply… ended.

And now, my story’s done.