Five Minute Friday: Awake…Oh, Really??

There was this one morning, when I did manage to lunge my way out from under the covers to get my anxious husband to the airport for an early flight. And I was amazingly surprised on this ONE day to note that the sun rises over the ocean on our peculiar peninsula at certain times of the year. 
And I got to see the fishing fleet set off for the day. 
Yes, it was truly lovely. 
No, I did not do it again.
The single most difficult thing I do every day
is get out of bed.
Yes, it’s true.
I am not a morning person.
No, I am not.
Not. At. All.
I struggle to see past the end of my nose.
I resist the sunlight, pouring through the transom window.
I resent the cheeriness of my partner for the last 46 years.
He is fully awake,
ready for the day,
bounding out of bed,
full speed ahead.
I am putt-putting in his wake.
If it’s a really good day, I get to stay in bed for another hour or so after he has made his wide-awake presence known.
And I am quite happy to let him make his own oatmeal 
(which he does every single day),
to vaguely listen to him jostle the dishes in the sink,
to turn over and move right back into dreamland, 
thank you very much.
It takes me a while to be fully awake, 
even after I’m out of the bed.  
I hem and haw and shuffle and mutter 
and gradually make my way past the bathroom 
into the closet and then out into the daylight.
But I’m not a happy camper.
No, I am not.
By about 10:00 a.m., I’m polite.
By noon, I’m downright gregarious.
And by 9:00 p.m. – I’ve had a second wind, 
ready to read or write or watch TV or engage conversation.
And my partner?
Sawing logs.
Yes, he is.
Sigh.
Back with Lisa-Jo this week for her 5 minute prompt, which today was the word AWAKE.
Check out some of the other contributions – they’re always fun to read.
She encourages us to write for 5 minutes flat without worrying about whether it’s right or not – no editing of any kind.

But this week, I will admit to some formatting after the 5 minute bell. Other than that – this one was a breeze. It’s the story of my life. Even when my kids were little, I struggled with mornings. I got up, I did what I was supposed to do. But I was semi-conscious most of the time. I had a small floral business for a while and that meant I had to get up really early to get to the flower mart on a wedding/party weekend. And I always enjoyed that weird, upside-down world of activity in downtown Los Angeles – at 4:00 a.m.! But I was quite happy to give up my re-sale number after daughter number two got married, nearly 18 years ago.

 

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Comments

  1. I know what you mean about the getting out of bed. I used to be a morning person, and I was the one annoying my husband. Now getting out of bed is like torture!! And I have a very hyper 8 year old who doesn’t let me stay in bed quite as long as I’d like. It’s a great description of your morning rituals!! I’d like to hear more about your experiences with spiritual direction.

  2. I’ve never been a morning person, while my hubby is wide awake when his feet hit the floor. I have a magnet on the fridge that says, “I’d like mornings better if they started at some other time of the day.” It doesn’t much matter how long I sleep, I’m still groggy and slow for at least the first hour.

  3. I so know what you mean, I”d rather still be up at 2am than getting up at 6am. And life would be so much better if everyone was quiet until around 10am. Have a blessed week.

  4. Ahaha! Loved it. Thanks for this giggle. I can so relate! My hubby is also up and running in the early hours of morning while I’m still in a bit of a daze until coffee cup #3 is fully consumed. BUT, mornings are the one time I can appreciate my hearing disability… I don’t have to hear those dishes rattling in the sink. 🙂

  5. hehehehe. This made me smile. By 10am I’m polite. Me too. I could very much relate to this and I love your honesty. You are a star, shining in the late midnight sky. =)

  6. I love mornings. But quietly, thank you. I’ve struggled to get up lately, though. Partly because I’ve been staying up too late. And partly because I’m not sleeping well. I’m living with it until the weather and my spirits warm. 🙂 Then I’ll head early to the yard again.