MORNINGS 03.21.2013

I’ve never been a morning person. Still, I have romanticized visions of waking early, stretching, and sipping coffee while I watch the city wake up around me. In these visions, the early-waking me is healthier, more active, and wildly productive.

When I lived in Pensacola, I was such an extreme night owl that I’d often be up to watch the sun rise. My neighbor, Aaron, and I would sit on our respective porches, writing, reading by dim porch light, and trading stories in hushed nighttime voices. Sometimes we’d walk to the bay and watch the water turn from murky black to a brilliant gold. Those mornings were my favorite.

Last month, a friend of mine said “If I didn’t have to sleep, I’d be happy to never do it again.” Sleeping, to him, is a waste of time; something that gets in the way of the projects, people, and fun that he can’t find enough time for. As I sank sleepily into his incredibly soft bed, I laughed and said “That’s the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard.”

 Projects, people, and fun are a waste of time; they are just things that get in the way of the sleep I can’t find enough time for.