Coming Clean – Earthquake Edition

The internet is filled with advice on getting more readership to your blog: Catchy titles, guest blogging, SEO manipulations… the list goes on and on. Since this blog is designed to speak with those who have found themselves in a crossroads in life and choosing the next direction, I know that to be successful I will be sharing my story – one FILLED with crossroads. For me, the best piece of commonly proffered advice is: Use your own voice.

At this point I realize that most of my readership is friends – and I am SOOOOOO grateful for all of my followers. I have always been amazed that I feel like I know the bloggers that I follow. I have never met them and probably never will, but they are fascinating people who write in such a way as the readers feel part of their lives.

[Author’s note: Examples of these fabulous bloggers are: Stephanie O’Dea at A Year of Slow Cooking and Marisa Lynch at New Dress a Day

I hope I’m able to one day match their level of mastery in sharing a bit of themselves with each blog post. One way I was thinking of doing that is having a regular segment called “Coming Clean” where I share a deep, dark, and amusing secret about me that some of my friends will know, but not all. I figured it will be fun for me relieve myself of the burden of hiding these idiosyncrasies and accepting who I am.

Are you ready for the first confession?  I am …. a morning person. And not just a average run-of-the-mill morning person, but a PERKY morning person … without caffeine! I feel that my productive day is over at noon. So many people cringe when they hear that I start work at 7 am. What they don’t realize is that I CHOSE my working hours. I love it. I’m up at that time anyway, and it’s hard to beat getting off work at 3:30 in the afternoon!

I like to think of myself, however, as a considerate morning person. When traveling with friends, I can stay quiet and entertain myself – books and a little snack are all I need. I also learned, as part of a carpool, who I should try to engage in conversation and who should be left alone.

Okay, maybe I’m not that considerate all the time. One time (why does “at band camp” always want to follow that introductory clause?) I had my little sister staying with me …

[Author’s note #2: My “little” sister is 26 and working on her PhD. Maybe “youngest” would be a better adjective in this situation…]

and she is not a morning person (UNDERSTATEMENT, sort of like saying, “Joseph Stalin was not a very nice guy”… NOT that I am comparing my sister to Stalin! This is all going horribly wrong! I really should stop with my parentheticals!). I got up on Saturday morning, went on a walk, went shopping, ate breakfast, came home, and she was still asleep! By then I’d been up for hours and had been looking forward to her company, so I “helped” her wake up.

Sneaking into the room, I placed my foot on the edge of the bed. I started shaking the mattress – slowly at first, then faster and faster. Of course then I had to shout, “EARTHQUAKE!”  She was not amused. I was! This happened more than a decade ago, and I smile broadly every time I think about it!

I think this was part of my learning curve that led me to be nicer to those for whom being up before noon is considered cruel and unusual punishment… or it was just me showing my sisterly love!

Some times I feel alone in the sea of night people.  Even DH2U is a night person. Am I really alone or have others of you been forced into hiding the way I have? Is anyone else in a “mixed” relationship of morning and night people?