The Parable of the Pillow People

The Parable of the Pillow People

From Practically on Purpose by Allie Canton

December 9, 2025 · 4 min

About this episode

Allie shares her struggles with sleep and mental clarity, recounting a recent trip to NYC and a surprising gift from a friend.

Guys, it finally happened. The sleep, I mean. Knock on wood, but I’m sleeping again. I was getting to the point where my brain resembled the crumbling ruins of some once-majestic estate, like whatever moldy manor was in Great Expectations or Wuthering Heights . I don’t actually remember much about either book, just the feeling-tone of gray skies and decaying Victorian grandeur. Chunks of my sanity, logic, and clarity of thought were shedding daily. (My hair too, but that’s a separate postpartum battle.) The locals were starting to whisper to each other, “Tread very carefully. She’s unsound.” On a recent trip to NYC, I was unable to determine when, where, or how to feed myself lunch, despite being extremely hungry. I was spending the day between Tribeca and Chelsea, and yet I booked a hotel near Grand Central “to be in the heart of it all” like a grade A jabroni. And then… salvation arrived, tenderly enclosed in wrapping paper stamped with indeterminate constellations, tucked in a brown paper bag. “You might not want to open this here,” V whispered. We were seated in Grey Dog, contemplating whether to buy the completely rationally priced $20 avocado toast or the $18 egg-and-cheese…

People in this episode

Host: Allie Canton

Topics covered

  • sleep
  • mental health
  • self-care
  • friendship
  • urban experiences

Keywords

  • sleep
  • mental clarity
  • NYC
  • friendship
  • self-care

Mentioned in this episode

Books & works: Great Expectations, Wuthering Heights

Places: NYC, Tribeca, Chelsea, Grand Central, Grey Dog

More episodes of Practically on Purpose

Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the Practically on Purpose podcast page.