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.