“And I, I took the road less traveled by, and that has made all the difference.”

- Robert Frost

Let me ask you; have you ever had one of those nights where you just can't sleep? And I don't mean you can't get comfortable, I mean no matter how many times you toss and turn, how many variations you put your pillows in, you just will not drift off. Well this was the situation I found myself in the other night.

I know that I've had a lot on my mind lately but you'd think that at 1:30 in the morning sleep would be topping the “to do” list. But alas, the more I tried to think “dream thoughts” the more awake I became.

I tried every trick in the book to induce a little R.E.M. I fluffed my pillows into nice puffy squares, but then my head was tilted and I couldn't breathe.

I lay on my stomach, my back, and even turned on my side when I realized I wasn't sleeping but I was actually doing yoga so, I gave that up for something different. I tried counting sheep but found even that hard to do because I didn't put a fence around them and they started wandering off and I'd have to go chasing the rebel wool sacks and then finally after getting them all back together in a nice bunch again; I'd lose my place and have to start the count all over.

It was at this point in my frustration that I figured that I could either stare at the clock or just get up and watch television. I chose the latter.

I turned on the Discovery channel and started watching a program on the ancient Roman Empire (Not very exciting I know, but the point was to bore me to sleep, don't forget).

A lot of the information I had heard before in school or whatnot but, tonight they were going to be discussing roads.

Apparently there are villages that have roads that have been in use for thousands of years, and yet, were in great shape.

Now this is what got me thinking, because the more video they showed the more I realized that the Romans didn't have much in the way of technology.

There were no cell phones, Mp3s or GPS units, and apparently, they also didn't have potholes. Why is it that with everything we have as far as modernization we can't get a smooth street in this town?

Have you seen some of these divots? Sure I enjoy excitement as much as the next guy but does my commute to work have to involve dodging holes big enough to swallow my car whole?

I started to get drowsy but still not sleepy so I stayed up for the next show which was going to be about Amelia Earhart and how she has been missing for over 75 years.

Perhaps the first program had struck a nerve because all I could wonder was if I went over to one of those potholes on North Street and said her name, if I'd get the reply; “Down here.”

Auburn native Bradley Molloy's column appears here, each

Sunday, in The Citizen.

He can be reached at lovonian@hotmail.com