Alright, so I gave this “lying down crossword” thing a shot the other day. Wasn’t planned, really. Just found myself completely wiped out after a long week, sprawled on the couch. You know that feeling, where even sitting up feels like too much effort? But my brain was still buzzing, restless. Didn’t want to just stare at the ceiling.
I spotted the weekend paper nearby, the crossword section sticking out. Usually, I’d sit at the kitchen table, proper posture, cup of tea, the whole deal. But nah, not that day. I thought, why not try it right here? Laziness is the mother of invention, or something like that, right?
Getting Set Up (Sort Of)
So, I reached over, grabbed the paper and a pen. First challenge: finding a comfortable position. Lying flat on my back? Paper falls on my face. Propped up on elbows? Elbows start digging into the cushions, arms shaking after a bit. I ended up sort of half-propped against the armrest, paper balanced on my stomach.
Needed something solid to press on. Tried using a big hardback book underneath the newspaper page. That worked okay, stopped the pen just poking holes through the flimsy paper when I wrote.
The Actual Doing Part
Okay, pen in hand, paper balanced precariously. Started filling in the easier clues, the across ones first. It felt… weird. Different. Holding the pen at that angle wasn’t natural. My handwriting looked even worse than usual, like a spider dipped in ink had a fight on the page.
Things I noticed:
- My arm holding the paper got tired surprisingly fast. Had to keep switching positions.
- Looking down at that angle for a while made my neck ache a bit.
- The light wasn’t great either, kept getting shadows from my own hand or head.
- It was definitely slower going than sitting upright. Felt less sharp, maybe more relaxed, but definitely slower.
- Dropped the pen once. It rolled under the sofa. Had to do that awkward body-roll-reach maneuver to get it back. Almost gave up then.
Did It Work Though?
Yeah, kinda. I actually finished most of it. Took way longer than normal, and it wasn’t exactly comfortable for long stretches. But there was something oddly satisfying about doing it in that lazy, unconventional way. Felt like a small victory against exhaustion.
It wasn’t some life-changing experience, let’s be real. It’s just doing a crossword lying down. But it made me think about how we usually do things in set ways, in set places. Sometimes just changing your physical position forces you to adapt, makes you approach even a simple task differently. Maybe it loosened up some different brain cells? Who knows.
Would I do it again? Maybe, if I was feeling particularly lazy or stuck on a clue and needed a change of scenery, even if that scenery is just the ceiling at a different angle. But for regular crossword tackling, I think I’ll stick to the table. My neck will thank me.
