Wake Up Call

 

The alarm is such a rude awakening, I prefer to wake before it gashes my slumber. I’ve got a really good internal clock. It’s set on eastern time but that’s OK, so is Indiana. When I was over the road I used to have to extrapolate from whatever time zone I was in and then set the alarm just in case, though I rarely needed it.

The other morning I awoke and looked at the clock. “Half an hour before the alarm, should I go back to sleep...” I spontaneously threw back the covers and pivoted to a sitting position on the edge of the bed, sat there for a few secs rubbing my eyes, then reached for the lamp. I love it when my body makes these decisions so that I don’t have to.

It seemed a dark and quiet morning. I didn’t think anything of it until I was putting my boots on and telling the kitty that I was sorry to leave her, but it was time to go. I checked the clock. I was an hour early! Sweet for me! I was awake, well rested and I never want to leave home anyway.

I sometimes wonder; if I won the lottery would I really travel the world or just stay at home?

Well, just the other day I awoke minutes before the alarm went off, the more usual scenario. When I got up it seemed a dark and quiet morning so I double checked the time. All was in order. I continued about my routine. Shortly the birds began to chirp, taking up their daily chorus, as the eastern sky paled. “Of course,” I thought, “we’re sliding toward Winter.” And so it goes, and so it goes.

Dear Readers, I must apologize, not just that I have left you for so long, but more because I have left you no jewels, only sand. I reread what I’d written of late and thought, “Who the hell is that dude? What a bummer!” I've never made it a secret that I am susceptible to depression, that's just a fact of life. I contend that we all reside somewhere on a spectrum of bi-polar order. Then again, given the state of the world and the environment a thoughtful person might conclude that depression was an appropriate response. Be that as it may I never intended to share that aspect of myself directly, but only inasmuch as it colors whatever else I have to say. And above all I hope to say something interesting! I've deleted the most offensive passages.

Now, where was I?...