That Used to be Me

My alarm went off at 1:30am, like it does every other night. I stumbled into the wood stove room, keeping my eyes half closed. I do this so that I don't wake fully; otherwise it makes it really hard to fall back asleep.

I load the wood stove (much like a baby, it needs to be tended to every night. The difference is I can go back to sleep immediately, not having to worry about waking up again any time soon). I notice a lone car drive by our house, its headlights glaringly bright in the otherwise still darkness.

I pause to wonder who it is and where they're going. Especially at this late of an hour.

As I head back to the bedroom, the clock in the dining room catches my eye and I am reminded that it's "only" 1:30am. It's really not that absurd that someone would be driving this time of night; heck-not that long ago I was still partying at this time of night (college) or still at the bowling alley with friends (high school).

That person in that car, heading home after a late night of fun- that used to be me.

Times have changed a little bit! Now I need an alarm to get me up at 1:30, and I've already been asleep a few hours by then. I smile at this as I wrap the still-warm covers around me and snuggle in for a few more hours of sleep.