Friday, January 18, 2008

Hang on for a Harangue


I want to thank each of you for gathering 'round my soap box to hear (read), yet another rant. What has spawned such a vehement reaction on this lovely Friday morning? I will tell you what has chapped my hide: Morning People.Now before I go off on a tirade against those who prefer the first half of our ritualistic diurnal course, I will pause to commend all those who have set themselves New Year resolutions and goals to start getting up earlier. I think it is admirable that you have set yourself something to shoot for that you view as "improvement". Good for you!New Year's Resolutions are good and all...but don't ever forget the immortal words of my cousin, the mega-star of Springville's Underground Urban Rap faction, D-Rap:He shared with me the wise words from his latest hit:
"Cryin' Fo Paper Shreds"

"Fo shnicket my ticket...yous is stuck in da sticky-whicket. Take da bicket and play da cricket. Yo!"

Now, I happen to be a polyglot, and one of the languages I have brushed up on lately is Springville Ebonics. Roughly what D-Rap's words translate to is this: I know you get down on yourself...but don't. You are amazing and many people think that. Don't forget you are a Child of God. Yo!"
Back to my rant.
Why have we as a society continued to follow such a superannuated tradition? Sure, before the advent of electricity and the light switch, I can understand the need to rise with the sun to get your daily chores and work day done. Obviously to conserve the precious wax of candles, the people wanted to use as much of the daylight as they could.I respect that. However, I don't use candles anymore and I doubt you do either. Let's move forward people...into the 21st century!
Traditionally it was an evil necessity to get up with the Sun. But those days have passed. Even though we live in a day and time where it is possible to see the work of our hands, even late at night, society has perpetuated this idiotic idea that getting up early is GOOD and staying up late is BAD. Just because the majority of the world accepts that...do we have to? The majority of the world also accepts coffee, most alcohol and the idea of "tester marriages". Does that mean we accept them? Of course not.
I guess what really got into my craw was an incident that reminded me of an experience I had in the MTC all those years ago. Now when I was at the MTC, bedtime was 10 PM and we got up at 6 AM. For the most part, I and my companions were pretty good about making it to bed on time and getting up on time. However, there was one night when we might have been a little loud and carrying on well into the 10:15 range. We had a knock on the door and in walked a haggard-looking Elder from two doors down whom we already didn't like. We didn't like him because of his superiority, "holier-than-thou" attitude and his uber-like tendency to point out your flaws while at the same moment glorifying his upperclass dynamism. (Grandpa would call him a Bastard).
Anyway, this Elder came in and started lecturing us about how we were breaking the rules and not only were we going to burn in Pergatory for our blatant refusal to follow the rules, we were also disturbing the precious sleep of those obedient souls around us. He lectured us for quite awhile...until he tipped his cards and I seized the moment to throw it back in his face.
He was complaining that our noise was preventing him from getting the sleep he needed, and since he got up at 5 AM to do his scripture study, he was not going to be in peak form and may miss out on vital information found in the scriptures. Now...do you see the ammo that he gave me? Like a slingshot, I took it and shot back in his face.He said that he got up at 5 AM. I stopped him in his tracks and told him that he was breaking the rules and that if he wanted to lecture people who were disregarding the obedience of guidelines set forth by our General Authorities, he had no further to look than in a mirror. He tried to argue that getting up earlier than 6 AM was an act worthy of blessing and praise...it was to be admired. Whereas, staying up late was an act worthy of capital punishment...or at least a good caning.However, I could see that he was flustered, because he knew he was wrong. I went on to point out that one of the reasons that our leaders have set the hours of 10 PM to 6 AM as a time to sleep is so that we get adequate rest and sleep for our bodies. After all, it is just as important to take care of the physical needs of the body as it is to take care of the spiritual needs.
Like a deer in the headlights...he knew he had no argument. Funny thing...he never bothered us again.
Now I was going to go off on Benjamin Franklinand his proposal back in France to wake everyone in town up at the crack of dawn with cannons and church bells, and then lash out against William Willett and the induction of Daylight Savings, but I hope you are getting the idea.
Getting up early in the morning traditionally was viewed as a good thing. However, times have changed. We are different people. We live in a 24 hour world. To those of you who enjoy getting up in the morning, I tip my hat to you. However, to you, my nocturnal peers, embrace the fact that the evening is when we shine. Don't get down on yourself because you don't get up easily. Just remember...when the sun sets, your body is on the rise. Not to mention, night owls dominate at board and trivia games at evening parties.

Encompass The Night


Now, on a humorous note. I saw a woman sporting a Rat's Tail hairdo today.
And a story from the local news: A waitress was serving lunch to a woman and her two children. Apparently the customers overheard the waitress as she lamented about how the new semester had just started and she didn't know how she was going to make ends meet and be able to purchase her textbooks. After the customers left, the waitress went back to bus the table and found a note written on a napkin. It said, "Good luck this semester. Go buy your textbooks."Underneath the napkin was a$400 tip.
There are still good people in the world.

18 comments:

Anonymous said...

How would you like to have been that guys companion?

Anonymous said...

My goodness! I just realized I had bookmarked only a specific page, so I didn't even realize your blog had been updated beyond what I had read. Ah well. I agree about mornings. Yuck! Though, I have to admit, I do feel proud of myself on those few days when I actually do get up before 10 am. It's an accomplishment!

Julene said...

Woops! Just in case you were wondering, the anonymous comment was mine. I am still new at blogging and didn't realize I had clicked anonymous.

-Julene

Yelyah's Corner said...

3 cheers for night owls!!! hip hip hooray, hip hip hooray, hip hip HOORAY!

The Carter Family: said...

"Early to bed and early to rise, makes a man healthy, and wealthy, and wise"...hmm, sounds great to me! I think I'll keep getting up early!! Oh, wait...I don't really have a choice since my kids get up at 6:30 or 7 and so I have to beat them out of bed! If I didn't have such early-risers, it would be a CHALLENGE!!!

dml said...

First off I D-Rap knows it all. I have never heard wiser comment before I saw him rap into a humble microphone. He is a rapping prophet. I think he said it first when he said he is “amazing.” … but to go on, yeah morning stink like an armpit. Nights are the new sunrise. Word. Love ya zach.

Nathan and Esther said...

I am sooo glad that there are other night owls out there! I LOVE staying up late. That, however, has all changed with a baby. But I continue to hold onto whatever lateness I can muster, and then I make up for it in the morning by lounging around in my pj's until noon.

I am so glad you said what you did to that guy! Way to go! I would have thought of that 3 days later...

whitney said...

LOL at what you said to that holier-than-thou missionary. I can totally picture you throwing his own rulebook back at him.

As it is now 12:22 AM, it's obvious that I'm not so much a morning person. Spencer totally is and we try to go to bed together, so he usually squelshes (sp?) the night owl tendancies of mine. He's out camping "with the boys" tonight, so I don't have anyone to make me go to bed at a reasonable hour-woohoo!...except for the fact that my kids'll be waking up in about 6.5 hours...sigh. Goodnight.

Smiley Family said...

I hear ya loud and clear. I get my second wind around 10:30. And I really do not understand why anyone would want to wake up before the sun is up. It makes no sense.

J said...

Was this rant to pull me back to the good side of staying up late and waking up late? Good times. Its too bad though that I still stay up late and am getting up early. Somethings gotta give, it might be my sanity! LOL.

I didn't know that about that missionary, I'm glad you told him off.

The Lund Five said...

I am definatly a night person. I hate getting up early. There are times when my kids wake up before me and they just play until they are ready for breakfast and then they come and wake me up. However, i usually do have to set my alarm for 7:30 a.m. so I can get Landon ready for school. Then just as I am getting used to waking up at 7:30 it is time for him to go off track and I get to sleep in a little and I dread it when he start school again and I have to set my alarm. It is a never ending cycle.

All About M.E.('s) said...

I once had a new year's resolution to get up earlier, but I have realized over the past couple of week that it was definitely the silliest resolution I have ever come up with. Bagged that!

rsheedy said...

AMEN! A thousand times, amen.

Craig Lifferth said...

I would like to quote a little something from a wise boss, Michael Scott. Which he says " I am a night owl and an early bird, Therefore I am wise and I have worms." That is all I have to say about your post. Your the man Zach.

Anonymous said...

I remember getting up on time every morning with you on the mission. Sometimes we went back to bed though... After President called of course. :)

I like the early morning, that is the only time I have peace from the kids! And night time is fine except for that time between 10 and 11:30 pm. I HATE that hour and half.

mightybob said...

D&C 88:124 - "124 Cease to be idle; cease to be unclean; cease to find fault one with another; cease to sleep longer than is needful; retire to thy bed early, that ye may not be weary; arise early, that your bodies and your minds may be invigorated." (the ultimate my-mom-wishes-i-were-like-this-as-a-teen scripture :)

That said... well, you know how I feel about mornings, too... stupiddumbmornings...

Anonymous said...

For those of us who live in the real world and have jobs, waking up early is a part of life and becomes much more enjoyable....

BRIAN

Sonja said...

Can you tell my baby he needs to sleep in a little longer? I'd love it! He wakes up at 6 every morning. He's so old fashioned :)