The Precarious Flight of the Night Owl

The night owl seem to be quite an endangered species these days and early birds have taken over the world. Night owls are either subjected to propaganda like "The early bird gets the worm", and they soon convert over mesmerized of this hypnotizing chant or forced to convert by sheer peer pressure. What the early birds don't tell us is that there's plenty of worms on the ground for getting! Yeah, and we can spot them better at night because we're all bright eyed and bushy tailed too (at night)!

Just about every company is overrun by early birds. Even those who used to be night owls are sometimes forcing the transition and overdosing on bitter coffee at Starbucks just to keep up. We tread lightly these days since we are now out numbered. But hear this, there is going to be a revolution that will change this fine feathered conspiracy back into the way nature had intended. Night owls will once again unite to fight for our proper wake-up time and live amongst our nocturnal friends once again.

What makes a night owl? There are various telltale signs that distinguishes a night owl from an early bird.

1. Early birds are naturally perky at wee hours of the morning while night owls melt away from a warm bed and walk in their sleep towards the bathroom.
2. Night owls don't communicate or utter any sounds until after having a fresh hot cup of coffee.
3. Early birds are known to utter phrases like "Up and at 'em!", "Early to bed - early to rise, yada, yada, yada...", or "Good morning, Sunshine!" On the other hand, night owls utter phrases like "Shut the hell up - it's too damn early!", "Where's my coffee?", or "Is it time to go home yet? (at 8:00 in the morning)"

Why should night owls revert back to their rightful time in the nocturnal world? For the simple reason of the benefits of being night owls.

1. We naturally function a lot better at night.
2. We have an easier flight to and from work since the streets aren't littered with early birds who honk their horns at the first sign of a green light if you are a second behind in accelerating from a stop.
3. We aren't restricted to force our sleep routine to coincide with our work routine of nine to five (nine to five work in the morning; nine to five sleep at night).

So there you have it! Night owls unite and let's regain back what we have lost! Our proper time is at night and we should be allowed to freely return back to our natural habitat!

Reflections

It's Sunday night and I have been blessed with some spare time between cooking both for tonight's dinner and lunch for next week, and bedtime. These are the times that I really enjoy because I get to reflect on all the opportunities and disappointments that have graced my days. Tonight's reflection is even more rewarding because these things transpire within the last couple of weeks.

All in all, I am very happy with all that's happened and have come to accept the notion that all events were meant to be. I am quite ecstatic with all the possibilities that the opportunities will provide and equally excited about where those adventures will take me.

As I sit here in front of my laptop taking in the susurrus lament of silence and sipping a glass of Yellow Tail Shiraz, I am engulfed in deep contemplation and the sense of freedom. Perhaps it’s the wine… then again, perhaps not… Tonight, calmness wraps its warm blanket around me and I start to reflect.

It’s definitely a divine intervention that I have gotten involved with the local farmers market. Before then, I had been in desolate personal state of non-purposeful existence. I felt lost; yet felt that I needed to be going someplace. I needed direction at a juncture in my life where presented before me are several roads with unknown destinations, equally intimidating and equally inviting. I prayed for wisdom to choose the right path but this answer would not come to me immediately.

I didn’t step forward in any direction but stood in silence and listened. I listened to the murmurs of those who are changing the world, their causes and their movements. I heard the whispers of those awakening people’s perceptions of good food and good business practices. I felt the vibrations of a worldly revival to return to the way nature had been purposefully designed. Quietly I waited, and after much time had passed that seemed to equal several months, I heard the call beckoning to me. It wasn’t from any stranger that I would hear the call, but from someone near and dear to me – my wife.

Didi had seen the ad in the Press Telegram about a new farmers market being established at California Heights and she showed me the article. What caught my attention was the call for volunteers to help with setting up cooking workshops. Without hesitation, I sent a comment through the website’s “About” page indicating my interest in volunteering time to assist with the workshops. I was contacted by Kelli Johnson and that was the start of my involvement with the market.

During the first couple of weeks of my volunteered time at the market, I still felt like an outsider but I had a renewed sense of purpose. I took advantage of every opportunity to interact with vendors and visitors in the hopes of learning more about the farmers’ market culture.

Today, I’m very excited to have met people with the same interest and outlook as I have regarding community and a sense of belonging. I truly relish exchange of ideas with those I have spoken with about returning the world into a greener place, and giving back to education and the schools. I am empowered by the knowledge that I can contribute to the control of water shortage by building a rain water collection system with instructions provided by the Hughes Goes Green volunteers. I am elated to hear of neighbors trading crops that they have grown themselves at the Wrigley Gardens in Long Beach. I am in awe of the deep sense of community that permeates through the Longfellow Middle School playground every Sunday that continues to grow week after week with new visitors. Most of all, I am blessed by several newly developed friendships that have sprouted from this one experience.

In future days, the market will be providing cooking workshops and I have been quite involved with contacting local chefs, all of whom I quite admire for their achievements. The possibilities at this market are endless and I look forward to developing the purpose that continues to burn in my heart – everyone should always have decent meals, and no one should ever have to go hungry. I plan on joining the Slow Food movement and take part in bringing back what we have lost – closeness in relationships and community, and respect for our fellow human beings.

As I draw this reflection to a close, I can’t help but think to myself… Man, this is some good wine!

My World Prediction -

I predict that the world, as we now know it, will end on December 23rd in the year 2012 because apparently, the Long Count Calendar that the Mayans used wasn't long enough. On this day, I predict that Michael, the Archangel, will fall upon the earth to combat the legion of angels that God will send to fulfill His apocolyptic promise. Michael's purpose will be to protect a pregnant lady thought to be carrying Jesus Christ getting ready for His second coming. I know its ironic that Jesus would choose to return to this world the same way He came in the first time but I guess He's into that warm slimey feel.

The reason why Michael needs to ward off the legion of angels is because they won't seem to be able to distinguish between an ordinary baby from Jesus Christ (...hello!) This will now be the start of the Apocolypse which would be followed by swarms of military helicopters pouring heavy fire onto Vietnam shores. I really hope they use napalm because I love the smell of napalm in the morning!

Afterwards, during the post-apocolyptic period, a lone hero, by the name of Eli, will emerge. He will scribble and doodle in his Wii etch-a-sketch thingy that people will fight over to color with their crayolas. It will be known as The Book of Eli and it will provide knowledge that will redeem society and the source of all their pain (intelligence; or lack thereof...) This book will also reveal that we are all decendants of one african male commonly known as Tiger Woods.

This is my prediction...

The book according to Sam 2:1