Friday, May 07, 2010

une bonne matinée


Sometimes Life goes out of its way to make itself easier. How nice of Life.

I've been wanting to get up early on a more consistent basis (re: more than once a week), and this morning, I had no other choice, as Stefan needed a ride to the train station at 5 a.m.  Opportunity had knocked.

Stefan nudged me awake at ten of five, and I looked outside, surprised to see the dawn already breaking. Sweatshirt thrown on and I was ready to go. Before heading out, I lugged the trash to the end of the driveway, and decided that whoever claimed early mornings are peaceful had clearly never been awake for one. The birds, you guys. Seriously. Birds do not chirp, as I had been led to believe. They clamor. So much for waxing poetic about the serenity of the early morning hush.

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Sometimes I think things that are wrong. (And sometimes I even admit to it.) I thought that early mornings were for meditating people, old people, and/or have-it-way-more-together-than-me people. I've slept through more than my fair share of early mornings (late ones, too) because I've thought for twenty years or so that I'm the kind of person who loves to sleep in. Sunday mornings frittered away with pancakes in bed and "Arrested Development" watched lazily on the couch. How relaxing! How satisfying!

Yeah, so it turns out that treats don't really feel like treats when I've spent the rest of the week ... treating myself. It turns out that my sanity and my happiness increase tenfold when I rise early, accomplish a bunch of both necessary and frivolous stuff, and feel that I've put in a full day. I thrive in a structured environment, although I balk at self-discipline and insist that routines are not for me. 

Already this morning I've driven Stefan to the train station, meditated on the sun-filled porch, made myself some tea, cooked hot cereal for breakfast, chatted with my mom about my new theory on friendships, and read about the intricacies of museum work for an hour or so. And I have so. much. time. left in this day.

I didn't quite manage to shower yet, but there's no reason to go overboard with this self-improvement stuff, right? What would I have to work on tomorrow?

2 comments:

  1. well now i'm interested in your theory of friendship! :)

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  2. I'd been thinking lately about the kind of males I've been attracted to (my "type" if you will), and it's always been those who possess qualities that I wish I had in abundance...confidence, rogueish charm, fiercely independent spirit...and then I got to thinking about all the relationships (romantic and friend-based) and came to the conclusion that to sustain a friendship, we need to be getting something from the person. Or, more precisely, that person needs to feel some need. If we don't need that person, we won't put in the work that it takes to sustain a friendship.

    My mom wasn't totally on board with that, and I have to say that I don't love that it's a really sort of selfish way to think about other people. But as much as I feel like I need/want things from friends, I absolutely give as much as I'm able back to them: I like to think that I'm a friend who gives comfort or a good laugh or a shoulder when needed. But, it's still fulfilling a need on my end (i.e. to feel good about helping that person, to feel good that I'm repaying the person for having been there for me, etc.)

    I've been thinking a lot about "friends" lately, as I again move from one sphere of life into another. All I know is, I wish they lived a lot closer!

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