All So Quiet

The time between 5AM-6:30AM is very comforting. There is this soothing placidity... a sudden stillness, as if the city is suspended between space and time. The cars that drive by are few and far between. The wailing sirens, trucks rumbling past, the train's whistle, and obnoxious motorcycle engines are nowhere to be heard... offering me a much needed reprieve, if only for an hour and 1/2. The only sound I hear is the slight breeze tickling the leaves on the trees and well kept brush, outside my window. I look across, at windows adjacent to mine and don't spy any early risers or room lights that've been flicked on. I feel as if I am the only one awake and that I have the city of downtown Hartford (CT) all to myself. Suddenly life's trials and tribulations don't seem so overwhelming. The whirring of my fan contributes to the calm before the impending chaos (garbage trucks, honking horns, garbage pails being dragged across the asphalt, etc)- and I use this time to hurriedly take a match to the tip of a tea light candle and meditate. But not before cursing myself for sleeping in until the last minute on those lazy mornings (which are often), I kept pushing the SNOOZE button over and over again, every 9 minutes... missing this golden opportunity to center myself and enjoy this solitary moment! I know last night was restless, due to the incessant motorcycle sounds, literally every 10 seconds... each one more guttural than the last... I got this annoying feeling in my gut... like indigestion, my annoyance ran so deep. I finally had to dig for some earplugs and shove them in my ear sockets, just to be able to fall asleep. I don't want to live in a rural area. I love urban living despite all its shortcomings and noise pollution. Perhaps this is why quiet times like these mean such a great deal to me. ...
**Note to self: Stop hitting the SNOOZE button, and drag your lazy hulk out of bed, to relish more of these moments**

3 comments

Brunhilda said...

I love the snooze, but quiet time to yourself for meditation, walking, however you chose to spend it is much more important. Oh yes. I used to rise that early to walk, and it was my favorite part of the day. A fabulous way to clear my mind and prepare for the day to come.

During my five year sojurn in the city, I found it so very hard to sleep. There were too many lights and too much noise for my taste. I am a rural girl at heart. :) However, I do need to be close enought to a city for shopping. ;)

TiffJ said...

@Jessucka: Walking is still one of my favorite types of exercises to engage in. Particularly, early in the morning on a really nice day!

Anonymous said...

Quiet time can be so undervalued these days. I'm glad you were able to find a bit of respite from the noise and clear your head for a bit.

- Cat