Morning

Several things made me do more thinking on morning today. These things will thread together for you why mornings have come to be my absolute favorite times of day. What started this whole chain reaction of thoughts was a discussion Jen, one of my managers at Borders, and I were having towards close tonight. She was joking about the alarm button in the back of the store that now has the tagline, "Push this button to detonate store nuke." While there are not too many funny things about nuclear weapons, when Jen said this in her best stereotypical sci-fi thriller voice, it was very comical. So, I told her it reminded me of my younger days of watching Inspector Gadget, the cartoon, and how the boss always repeated how the message/directions would self-destruct. As I spent the next hour and a half reshelving books on the second floor, I realized how precious mornings have always been to me.

The Inspectore Gadget comment/memory produced a very strong feeling of nostalgia for me. Why? Well, it definitely was not the quality television the cartoon provided, but it was the fact that that show was a very regular part of my morning routine as a kid. Even better, it was one show that I truly enjoyed, and this was a saving grace for me as there were not too many of my preferences that coalesced with my big brother's standards--but this was one of them. And it's always a plus to win your big brother's favor even if it's in the fleeting moments of morning cartoons. I guess remembering those days of innocent and worry-free mornings totally make me swoon for a return to simplicity like that.

Other morning favorites are as follows:
1) Having the chance to watch the sun rise. While I have had this opportunity many times as a driver en route to different destinations and as an early morning runner (those were the days), I have to say my favorite sunrise was on my first day in Dublin. We flew into Dublin airport before 6am, and I got to view the sunrise from inside. It was pretty sweet. And I'll never forget that I was ironically listening to Nora Jones' song, "Sunrise," off of her Feels Like Home CD. And no, this is not a dramatization...it's just one of the many coincidents of the moment that made it freeze in time.

2) My niece, Sydni, arriving at my mom's. Because my mom babysits her, my sister-in-law dropped her off regularly at 7:30am. I would almost always be in the middle of getting ready for my days on campus, but my heart would warm as soon as I would hear her little, very happy voice. Nothing like childhood happiness in the morning...or anytime for that matter.

3) Bike rides. My friend, Kate, and I spent several very early mornings on the Wheeling Heritage Bike Trail last spring and summer. When I say very early, I'm talking like 6-6:30am, so we, of course, also enjoyed many foggy sunrises. She taught at my undergraduate institution and I had to attend early classes, so this was the only time we could fit our ride in. And these rides, and the conversation that accompanied them, always seemed to make days better.

3) Having coffee. While I am sort of an afficianado when it comes to this delightful drink and drink it just about anytime during the day, my favorite time to have it is in the morning...nothing like that first cup.

4) Visiting with friends. I love my friends all of the time. But, I've come to appreciate a new cycle of early morning visits that have cropped up in my life. Both times that I have visited home, my last stop before getting on the road has been at my Aunt Deb's house, and we have our morning cup of java together. These times would definitely rate in the Top 10 of my entire life's events. And I can't fail to mention the pleasure of morning coffee with Sara. We haven't done this tons of times, as of yet, but I'm thinking the Gryphon will prove to be our favorite morning coffee spot.

So there are some highlights about morning that have been on my mind. When you combine a fresh start/clean slate, good coffee, and good company, it seems to be a foolproof plan for contentedness...and it has been just that for me consistently.