Get Sleepy Host (6:35)

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Get Sleepy Host Thomas (6:38)

Repeat this as many times as you like. And now it's time for me to hand over to tk. So begin to imagine a lovely evening in a small town. You are just in time for the twilight hour. This is where our story begins.

Narrator TK Kalman (7:36)

As evening approaches, you step out the front door of the apartment street you are staying in and onto Main Street. Even at the height of the day, there is rarely more than a pleasant hubbub here. Now, as evening approaches, the mood is actually tranquil. The only noise nearby is the closing of car doors at the curb and small clusters of people chatting amiably down the sidewalk. The road here is just two lanes and the brick buildings that line the sidewalks are over a hundred years old. Every time you look upward, you see beautiful stone masonry over doors and windows. These architectural details always feel like a secret to you, waiting patiently above eye level for people to notice them. You tuck your hands into your pockets and briefly turn in a circle as you tip your chin skyward to take a look. It's a wonderful evening for walking. Outside, dusk is descending upon the town. Shop windows shine with light from within, inviting passersby to stop for a coffee or to browse displays. You watch as the street lights begin to illuminate. 1, 2, 3, 4. Then a pause before the fifth one catches up. Then the entire street is glowing softly. A little bell rings on a door nearby as a patron leaves one of the stores. You hear the shopkeeper say goodbye and the customer waves to them. The door swings silently shut again. You look down at the pavement before you. The sidewalk under your feet is made of gray pavers. It adds to the beauty of the scene stretching out before you like a softer version of Dorothy's Yellow Brake Road. Your seeds are compelled to cover that ground as you feel a gentle thrill of anticipation for the evening ahead. Nonetheless, you savor the evening and meander along at a leisurely pace. You have plenty of time before your movie begins at the historic theater down the street. It's a few blocks away, but the marquee is cheerfully shining up ahead of you. As usual, the theater is only playing one movie tonight. It's a classic film you have loved for many years but have never seen on the big screen. The name of the film is displayed on the marquee in black lettering on a white background. You know that the proprietor of the theater still changes those letters by hand several times a week as needed. Above the marquee, the name of the theatre is emblazoned in beautiful neon colors. Underneath it, there is a small ticket booth with a window and a silver speaker you can talk to. When you reach the theater, a young person is sitting inside the booth reading a book. They look up at you and smile, asking if you'd like a ticket. You say yes and pass the money through the little opening on the counter. The ticket agent slides a red paper rectangle back. In return, it says, admit one. You smile and take the ticket, relishing its heavy paper texture between your fingers. It feels like you are holding a little bit of history in your hand. You reach for a long brass handle and open the door to the theater. Inside, you are surrounded by the soft embrace of fabric and carpeting. Every surface is radiating warmth and color. You feel the red and gold decorations as much as you see it. The carpet is covered in a geometric pattern of black and antique yellow.

Get Sleepy Host Thomas (15:01)

Red.

Narrator TK Kalman (15:02)

Velvet curtains are draped around the walls and doorways. More than once you have appreciated these curtains when the winter chill has crept into the old theater. But tonight, on such a mild evening, they are merely ornamental. Best of all, there is an enormous red settee in the middle of the room. It is round with nail head trim. You walk over to this whimsical piece of furniture and gently sit down on it, looking upward and scanning the entire lobby with your gaze. Sliding halfway around the seat, you view the other side of the room. Just because you can, this round seating area is irresistible. You take your time noticing as a patron walks up to the long concessions counter. You can't really hear what he is saying exactly. His conversation with the attendant is muffled by the boisterous sound of popcorn spilling through the large machine behind the cash register. But the tone of the two voices is friendly and the woman behind the counter laughs. The other moviegoer lingers as he examines all the tempting candies under the glass countertop. He wants to choose the perfect one. You understand this careful consideration. Having the proper treat at the movies is oddly important to your experience as well. You watch as he selects one and hands over some cash. Then he nods to the cashier and disappears up the stairs that lead to the balcony of the theater. Even his footsteps are silent. This lobby is made to thoughtfully muffle sound, and it works beautifully. You feel cocooned in peacefulness.

Get Sleepy Host (18:32)

Now.

Narrator TK Kalman (18:34)

You can't stop thinking about what your own perfect snack will be. You consider a few options, but settle on an old favorite. Relishing the prospect of buttery popcorn, you purchase some as well as a fizzy soda full of ice. As you take the cup and hear the exuberant bubbles inside, you ponder how sodas just seem to taste better from the fountain. It is a mystery you hope you never solve because it's one of those things that makes movies special. The cashier hands you a crisp red and white striped paper bag, and you feel the warmth of the fresh popcorn through the side. You hug your snack in the crook of your arm and carefully carry your soda in your hand toward the theater entrance. As you walk in the direction of of the hushed auditorium, the tantalizing smell of the butter wafts from the bag. It's perfect for the moment. The movie won't be starting for just a few short minutes yet, so you take your time looking around. You briefly consider going up into the balcony, but you decide your view will be better in the main seating area. You walk through the door to the lower Level, which will stay propped open until the lights go down. As you step inside, the magnificent auditorium opens up before you. It's darker in there, and your eyes have to adjust a little bit. You stop for a moment to get your bearings. You soon see that you are one of only a few guests. A sea of red seats lies before you. Most of them are delightfully empty. You can choose a spot right in the middle if you want. With so many options, you are not in a hurry to sit down. Turning to look upward, you see the balcony behind you. The projection window is way up at the very top. The tall ceiling above your head is painted in an ornate Art deco style. Its colors are the reds and golds from the lobby. If you close your eyes, you can almost hear the jazzy music of the 1920s playing in your mind. Turning, you look toward the screen. It is currently draped with even more red velvet curtains. This is the opposite, the minimalist style that seems popular nowadays. And you are reveling in the luxury of it all. There is a stage that extends out in front of the movie screen. You can imagine an announcer there introducing a show that happened long in the past. You smile and imagine people exuberantly dancing on that stage. In fact, you know that they sometimes hold live shows here. Even today it doubles as a theater space for things like talent shows and small concerts. You wonder if there was once a piano player for the silent movies that played here in the early days. You would like to think so. The walls of the auditorium are lined with large framed movie posters. Classic films. You take a moment to slowly walk down the aisle, examining each poster. Some of the movies are familiar to you. Others you mentally add to your list to watch later. The actors on the posters look so glamorous. It's like you slipped inside a time capsule and you love being a part of it. Knowing it's time to choose your spot, you select a completely empty row. You slowly make your way past the first half of the seats. They are all covered in worn velvet fabric. There is a tarnished metal plate on each one that displays a number. You are spoiled for choice with so many options. You find the chair that feels right and slowly fold down the creaky seat. You set your popcorn carefully in your lap. You run your hand along the worn wooden arm to your right. It is incredibly smooth. Generations of people have sat in this very spot, polishing that wood to a satin finish by tiny increments. These comfortable armrests are the community project of generations. You feel reverence for the constancy of this place. It has seen many happy moments. The lights dim and you prepare to enjoy the show. An old fashioned cartoon appears on the screen showing dancing popcorn and candy. You feel once again as if you are stepping back in time to a simpler era when a trip to the movies was a special occasion. Taking small bites of your warm, crunchy popcorn, you savor the saltiness and the texture. Much like the soft drink, it just happens to taste better at the movies. The ice rumbles lightly in the bottom of your cup as you delicately sip your fizzy soda. The sweetness and the bubbles in your drink light up your senses and you feel ready to take in the show. The previews you are watching are all for old fashioned silver screen films that will be showing at the theater in the near future. The dramatic old film trailers are quite entertaining all on their own. Seeing the actors from the golden age of Hollywood enhances your sense of time travel. You imagine a world where these movies were new. For a moment, you pretend you have never seen them, just to understand what that would feel like. As a result, you're filled with a happy sense of novelty and adventure. As the opening credits light up the screen. Once the movie begins, you become immersed in nostalgia. The costumes are so chic and elegant. The world on the screen is full of style and drama. Street scenes are resplendent with beautiful classic cars. The older models are so sleek and luxurious. Although the acting is excellent, observing the settings is what you enjoy most. The entire world inside the movie is absorbing. You want to be there, walking down that black and white street, wearing a stylish outfit for the day. Because truthfully, although you appreciate the focus on modern comfort in modern fashion, it's fun to imagine a time when a person never needed an excuse to dress up. Continuing to take small bites of popcorn, you look around the dim theater. It is possible to imagine that you will actually still be in the past when you step outside again. At this moment, you are in a bubble within another world. The soundtrack to the movie heightens that feeling of being transported far away with compositions that are beautiful, exciting. The extravagant music echoes the feelings you are experiencing from the story. The era of this movie was a time that embraced sentimentality. Your experience of watching the movie feels much shorter than it actually is. Before you know it, the final credits are playing. You stay in your seat until the very end, reading the names of all the actors and discovering where the movie movie was filmed and when Every detail is interesting to you. By the time the lights come up, the other patrons have made their way back out to the lobby, leaving you virtually alone in the auditorium. You're not in a rush. You stand up and stretch, letting your seat flip back up into its waiting position. It will be ready for the next lucky visitor. But you make a promise to yourself that you will not be far behind and that you will soon be in here again, yourself. Taking your cup and your empty popcorn bag, you sidle reluctantly out of the long row of velvety seats. The silence in the theater is profound now, as if the people who had sealed the past behind them, allowing you to stay a bit longer. Time seems suspended at this pleasant place in history. You think about how this movie will replay again at the next showtime, and then again and again. It is comforting to know it will still be here, like a delicious secret. Your feet make no sound at all as you walk back through the open door to the lobby. As you do, you see the ticket agent slip into the auditorium to make sure it is ready for the late show. Nobody will be minding the concessions counter until new customers arrive later. It sits silently in the low light, glowing warmly even devoid of people. The mood in the lobby is friendly, welcoming. The theater seems to silently say to you, see you next time. As you pass by the round settee, you run your hand lightly over its soft upholstery and smile. You are pretty sure you'll be unable to resist sitting on it next time and every other time you visit here in the future. Stepping out into the night air, you breathe deeply of the refreshing coolness. As much as you love being inside the theater, this awakening of your senses is a little thrill, and you feel wonderful. The street is even more quiet now. Although a few people walk singly or in pairs, here and there they have been at dinner or socializing in bars and cafes. Everyone who is still on the street is in a good mood. They talk and laugh in low voices and say hello to people they pass in the semi darkness. You are definitely not in a hurry on your walk home, taking your time, you examine low lit windows of shops closed for the night. You peek into the bakery and think about what pies and cakes will be in the display case tomorrow. You notice one clothing store where the mannequin in the front window is undergoing a change of style. You ponder what top will end up being matched to the skirt that is currently in evidence. Then you resolve to come back and see tomorrow. As you slowly go from one end of Main street to the other, you step into the pools of lamplight and then out of them again. Like a child playing hopscotch A soothing strain of music makes its way to you from a cafe. Peeking inside, you see a lone musician on the stage with several tables of people intently listening. You finally reach the door that leads to the apartment you are staying in in one of Main Street's historic brick buildings. The windows of your second floor rooms overlook the street. Turning your key, you step inside and stand momentarily on the old fashioned penny tile, looking at the vintage mailboxes the tenants still use. Just like in the movie theater, it takes only a small amount of effort to believe you are walking through a doorway into another time. You ascend the steps, running your hand along the ornate black railing and imagining you are really on a journey to the past. The building is silent and your shoes click lightly as you make your way to your place. Arriving there, you let yourself into the cozy apartment. The lamplight shines across the old wood floors. On the street outside, it is lovely to be home for the night. You make yourself a soothing cup of your favorite warm bedtime drink and then walk to the window to look out. While you sip it across the street and down a block or two, you spot a beautiful classic car glowing under a street light. It looks so much like the ones from the movie you just saw, and you marvel at the fact that one has now appeared in real life in front of you. Then you cannot help smiling because you think you did travel in time just a little bit this evening. It feels almost like magic. Soon you are yawning and ready for sleep. It isn't long before you are happily pulling back your covers and climbing into bed. You've had a perfect evening, but you always look forward to this moment of the day when the world is quiet and you can be alone with your thoughts. You slip into your crisp white sheets and pull the soft comforter up to your chin. All the busy activities and tasks you've been doing slip away into the background. In fact, it feels like those concerns are from another decade, as if their very importance is now a mystery. You could almost believe that there is no modern life. There is no Internet. There are no computers. Now you're ready to forget all of it for the night. In fact, you have already begun to let all of it disappear. There is a growing space in your mind and you feel like there is room for you to expand into this empty space and relax. You take a deep breath very slowly. Then you imagine any remaining tension in your body is slowly dissipating with your exhale. In your mind's eye, you replay the scenes from the movie. They are in slow motion. You feel a deep sense of well being. You are in a hidden, safe place where you are certain to have sweet dreams. Your thoughts are peaceful. You imagine your entire world being in black and white like the movie you just enjoyed. The pillow is very soft on your cheek. A profound relaxation spreads through your body. You feel your thoughts pleasantly drifting. And eventually, on your own time and in your own way, you fall into a deep and restful sleep, remembering your journey through time in the historic theater.