24 Hours in a Day

Since I have had kids, my days are no longer 12 hours.  Before, my days were roughly halved between being awake and asleep.  Any changes in this routine were generally related to travel or fun times.  There were the same number of hours back then, but half of them were normally shrouded behind heavy drapes. Now, all of them are out on full-display under lights.  They are randomly organized and meted out in a variety of  combinations. 2 and 4 a.m. are like well worn  books that automatically fall open to the same spot time after time.

I used to have really fixed ideas about what was normal for 7 a.m. and midnight.  That binary approach to waking life has been transformed and  I now go about my business half awake, ready for sleep whenever the opportunity avails itself.

Crunching numbers at 3 a.m.? Sure.

Sleeping at 3 p.m.? If possible, absolutely.

Making cupcakes at 6:30 a.m., frosting them by 8? Not unusual.

Being awake at 5:30, just to be alone.  Yes.

I blame artificial light, and cellphones and a whole range of things, but it certainly has opened a whole new range of options. These hours are no longer the front and back covers of a big heavy book, but rather are like beads sliding along a string, catching and refracting the light.