Tuesday, July 14, 2009

She Said: Victimless Sin #1

Hmm, Dr. B's last post sure sounded like a reprimand to me, did it sound like that to you?

He's right -- I do burn the candle at both ends. I used to be a "morning person," retiring at about 10pm and getting up around 6am. It all changed by the time my eighth child had arrived. I found myself so thrilled when they were all in bed that I finally had time to myself to read, do a project, or just have some free time alone, that I took to staying up quite late at night. This habit has continued over the years. I now go to sleep about 12 or 1:00 at night and wake up just before 7. During the school year I have to get up just before 6. This gives me 6 or 7 hours of sleep, which I think is rather reasonable. A few times a month I find myself involved in something to the point that I stay up until 2 or 3.

Every once in a while I will make an effort to get more sleep. But it's not that important to me. What about you? Do you think going to sleep and waking up early is an important commandment, or is it just a suggestion that might be helpful? I think if my body didn't need to sleep, I never would. Since I honor my mother and father and obey the Word of Wisdom, I am already assured of a long and healthy life. I enjoy my hours alone in the darkness, reading or thinking, perusing the blogs, writing poetry. I wouldn't trade them for a few paltry more years in my extreme old age.


BiV's Homage to the Dark Hours

My muses prowl in the dark hours--
They do not waylay the weary,
But bestow their boon on the bright-eyed
And not the bleary.

Those owl-like souls who await them
In a state of solemn wonder
And are wakeful still in the wee hours,
Receive the plunder.

My muses pass by the slumb'rous,
They delay their dance to the dark hours,
And the only souls who perceive them
Rest not 'neath bowers.

I have pined alone in the dark hours,
I have begged without compunction.
I have sought the nine nymphic tokens,
Invoked their unction.

As I write these words after midnight,
I can feel their furtive fingers
Touch my mind and spirit gently--
The night oil lingers.

9 comments:

  1. If my body could sleep more hours that would be good. In fact, if I could just be asleep all the time, that would really hit the spot.

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  2. I posted on the silly idea that God wants us to wake up early here: http://www.newcoolthang.com/index.php/2006/09/early-to-rise/290/

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  3. "I don’t like to waste those quiet and peaceful hours after 10:00 PM on sleeping when I have a clear head and a quiet house in which to ponder and read and meditate. So I do all my best pondering and meditating between 10:00 PM and 1:00 AM. God doesn’t seem to mind at all."

    Love it, Geoff!

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  4. What is it about Mormonism that causes us not to pay much attention to sensible advice, unless it comes from someone with a high-falutin' church title and a middle initial?

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  5. BiV, I'm totally with you (and Geoff) on this one. I'm a complete night person. I do some of my best work between 9 and midnight. Unfortunately, I have a bad habit of staying up later than that, and then I'm tired the next day because I need more than 6-7 hours of sleep. I wish I could get by on that!

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  6. Biv,
    Love the new blog by the way! I also am a night owl - partly because it's just my natural bio-chemistry, partly because I also love to have the time to myself after the kids are in bed. I just really need that quiet time to think as I end my day. I will gladly give up sleep to be able to have that alone time. Anyway, keep up the great posts.

    ps. - I'd love to be a fly on the wall and hear some of the converations between you and Dr. B after some of the posts on this blog!

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  7. Geoff and Mutual Fan Club Member:

    I have read over your rationales with great interest. If you trained your circadian clocks differently as did Geoff's example David O. McKay who went from being a slackard to a model citizen you might get the same effect at 4am until 6am. then 11pm until 2am. Heck you might even want to read the scriptures occasionally with your kids or pray with your wife or husband or just keep meditating and writing. It could help your statistics blogging since it wouldn't drop as fast off the aggregators since you would put your posts up later in the morning instead of twelve to two when fewer people are online.

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