The Danger of Lying in Bed

by Bob Cafaro, Cello

Mark Twain wrote a short story about the danger of lying in bed because the lives of most will conclude there. We go to great lengths to avoid many statistically safe activities and situations because of fear the Grim Reaper will be waiting. Twain humorously illustrates the absurdity of this philosophy because chances are greatest of dying in a bed somewhere. The musicians of The Philadelphia Orchestra on tour in Japan endure a similar threat, but not from death. Our challenge is setting the clock ahead 13 hours and trying to stay on a normal schedule of rehearsals and concerts. Those familiar with the science fiction movie Invasion of the Body Snatchers, will understand our situation. In this film the earth is invaded by an alien life form which takes over and clones humans, but only when they sleep. Survival is a matter of staying awake despite an extreme state of sleep deprivation.

Years ago during the early afternoon of my very first Philadelphia Orchestra concert in Tokyo, I was feeling so tired that I decided to lie on the bed for a few minutes. I was woken from deep slumber by the phone and it was the Orchestra Personnel Manager. The clock said 7:02, it was dark outside and I was totally disoriented (no pun intended). She said in a rather urgent voice “Bob, I’m at the hall.” (A moment of silence...) I replied “Was I supposed to meet you there?” She shot back “Bob, there is a 7:00 pm concert and you’re supposed to be here playing.” In a panic I jumped up and ran the short distance from the hotel to the hall, but it was too late. The Orchestra was already in the second movement of the Beethoven Second Symphony. How embarrassed I was!

This past Wednesday, May 18 was our opening concert and sure enough, two Orchestra members had fallen asleep and missed the first half of the concert. I have had many nightmares about not being able to get to a concert, having no music, and not being able to find my cello or concert clothes. But oversleeping for an Orchestra concert is a nightmare which became reality for me, and it is an experience which will never be forgotten. That Wednesday at 3:00 in the afternoon I was once again understandably tired and felt the need to close my eyes for just a minute. But this time having wisdom from experience, I chose the hotel room floor over the bed to avoid getting too comfortable. At 6:20 I was rudely woken by an excruciating pain in my right shoulder. During sleep I had apparently rolled onto my right side but cannot sleep on that side because of a broken collarbone 7 years ago. The floor compounded the pain which luckily woke me 40 minutes prior to the start of the opening concert.

I must confess to finding humor in the fact that 2 of my colleagues suffered the same embarrassing fate of oversleeping for an opening concert, but it happens on every Asian tour. It is said that a smart person learns from their mistakes, but a brilliant person learns from the mistakes of others. Perhaps a more appropriate title of this story should have been The Safety of Lying on the Floor!