The nightowl and the meadowlark

It's 7.50 in the morning, and I'm glad to be up. I woke up early today, showered, got dressed, and went outside, since just around there corner there is a bakery that sells real Montreal bagels. I can tell you, they're good. I went there, met all the morning people going about their business, got my bagel with creamcheese and a coffee, read the news. It feels good.

But you know, I still don't quite believe in this distinction between morning and evening people. Not that I don't acknowledge that some people function better at night. It's just that I notice that I sometimes function better at night, sometimes better in the morning. It changes according to my schedule, and, more importantly, the way I feel about life. Which is why it seems to be that that does not have to do with biological factors, but rather with psychological disposition. Getting up early in the morning has everything to do with rousing oneself, and the person who can do that is definitely going to be able to enjoy themselves in the morning. I would let them sum it up by saying, "What a glorious day, let's make the most of it. Hello world!" The other end of the spectrum then belongs to people who need for the world to rouse them. They wake up basically because they have to, and have something of a dependency on the things around them to give them the signals they need to be roused. The world keeps poking them, poke -sunlight, poke-smell of coffee, poke-alarm clock, poke-can't sleep... "Alright, alright, I'm up!" and as they go along during the day they accumulate signals that stimulate them into being awake, untill at the end of the day they're wide awake processing all the things the world has been doing to them. Both cycles reinforce themselves.

Now the past few months I have mostly been going to bed late, waking up late. Partly because of my schedule; at the earliest my classes start at 10am. That's enough time to stay in bed a while. Partly it's because a lot of people around me stay up late - hey, I'm a student. Me being quite social, I enjoy their company and feel like I'm deserting it if I go to bed early (that's one of those reinforcing processes). On top of that, I simply have been having work that I, although I consider it interesting, don't particularly enjoy, making me put it off or at least waste some time doing other things. This means that at the end of the day, say around 8 or 9, I feel guilty enough to set myself to work and finish some of it - next time I check the clock it's already 11.30. But anyway, I can also do the work in the morning. I haven't been doing that because it seems such a hassle. It's not necessarily something you want to wake up to. I guess it's a matter of perception.

I enjoy the morning, though it's not quite like I don't get the charm of the following picture. I'm gonna get to work now though ;-)