My alarm went off at 4:15 AM this morning, jump starting the fifth day in a row that I have been up before five in the morning. As I stepped into the shower at an airport hotel in Atlanta, I could hear the shower turn on in the room next to me. My guess is the hotel neighbor also has a flight to catch this morning.
Out the door by 5:15 AM, as I stepped off the elevator in the hotel lobby, I passed a man getting on the elevator with a hot cup of coffee, to go back up to his room. The man working at the hotel lobby was engrossed in something on his computer screen, not noticing me as I passed by. Two businessmen sat in the lobby appearing to be waiting for the rest of their party.
I made the quiet walk from the hotel to the airport train, arriving just in time to board before the train took off. A full train of passengers looked on as I rushed on just before the doors closed. Once at the airport, I walked among a sea of people on my way to TSA security. I walked through the crowded airport terminal to the United Club, where I checked in, and the always cheerful at sub-sunrise hours of the day woman at the check-in desk, said, “Welcome back Ms. Storey. I like the hair!” More than the compliment on my hair, I liked that she remembered me from my previous visits.
I am now sitting here in the United Club, sipping my morning coffee at a long table that faces the airport terminal. I see trams carrying bags zipping about with luggage. I see a ground crew fueling a plane, and I see a bus driving about the terminal. I see planes taxing along the runway in the distance. What I see is people’s workdays that are in full swing. I wonder what time their alarm clocks went off to get their day started.
One tends to think they are special when they get up crazy early to manage a sixty-plus hour work week. I am guilty of this self-absorbed mindset myself. We all have responsibilities and for some of us, these responsibilities mean getting up at hours that others find torturous. We often fail to realize that there are countless people that get up early to perform jobs that make our lives of sipping morning coffee, eating an early breakfast and catching an airplane possible. The coffee in my cup that was ready for me when I sat down didn’t brew itself. I am grateful for the hard work of all of these early risers.
For me personally, I am finding that I am happier and even more productive as I resume my habit of getting up early to get a head start on the day. I believe that being a morning person is bred into me as the first generation of both sides of my ancestry that does not farm. I also love what I do for a living, and while I do relish sleeping in at times, more often than not, I am excited about getting out of bed to get my workday started.
The week has been long, and a full workday awaits me when I arrive back Houston. I am happy and grateful for all of the opportunities in my life.
Thank you for stopping by to read my thoughts. Happy Friday!