When I did get out of bed and looked out the window, I really didn't want to walk to the Point. I knew what was coming--it was darker and more gray. Yesterday, even looking out of my West-facing window I had hope for a red, springtime, eggs-for-breakfast kind of sun. You can tell by the blue in the West what the sun in the East will be like. Today it's the familiar Chicago winter overcast and I could tell even at 6AM.
I put on the clothes (more layers this time--especially leg warmers. There's a lesson for watching the winter sunrise.) But today was less cold. And--this surprised me--more people were out. I passed two people walking on the way to the Point, and saw a number jogging there as well. Walking toward the lake this time, no colors were beckoning me. The sky was uniformly gray somehow, before the sun was even up.
And then there I stood at the gray lake, looking at the gray horizon. I stood until exactly a minute or two past "sunrise" as per my commitment, but didn't even see a hint of brightness behind all that cloud cover. Then I turned, plugged in my iPod and listened to music on the way back. I don't think I was really violating much--I had walked a mile or so to look at gray skies that looked much like the gray skies outside my window when I woke up. I wanted my bed.
What I thought about though, was the way I'm going to have to be careful with this Project. Surely some miniprojects will be frustrating or disappointing, but I'm going to have to vary it such that I have a break from certain frustrations and don't continue them over time; for example, my next miniproject won't involve my sleep cycle. If I do something with food, the project after that will deal with something else. Just as important, I also need to do things that are decidedly fun and wholly cerebral and not endless toying with my body.
When I got home I slept for three hours (repaying my sleep debt) and had strange dreams. I have done little since then and feel dazed. It seems like a headache is brewing. Now I figure, a cup of tea and then my BA.
Take-home lesson for the day: If you're going to watch the sun rise, make sure it's going to rise. It's the colors that wake you up.
4 comments:
Who's tougher, samurai warriors, disemboweling themselves after battle failure, olympic oarsmen rowing with frozen bloodsicles on their knuckles, or you, almost making it to dawn before retiring to bed with your iPod? You are an inspiration!
I know, right? Where's MY medal?
And for your information, I did make it to dawn. Maybe I shouldn't keep going to 1AM. But mostly I think I was just depressed by the weather.
I thought day 2 was supposed to be the introspection! (thinking that D1 is intro and D3 lesson applicability? Maybe I had that wrong). But walking back home with your iPod you didn't think about the sunrise but rather the macroproject. Lots of restrictions I'm gathering. I'm looking forward to seeing if you went to bed earlier so sleep didn't impact D3 like it did D2!
d'Aw, you have it all figured out. I was going to think about the macroproject whether or not I listened to my iPod I think--I was pretty worried in general.
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