Early.

This morning, I watched the city wake up. I watched the sunrise, illuminiating the sky first with a vibrant orange, and then slowly fading through yellow and pink down to a cool, sunny blue. And I watched lights turn on, curtains open, lights turn off. I watched the canal, first in solemn tranquility reflecting just the trees that line it on either side, then slowly becoming alive as one, and then two, and then a hundred people began ralking, cycling, running; a metamporphasis right before my eyes. And the calming whoosh of the odd car was replaced by the constant, frantic acceleration of busses as they left the campus station. And then of course, the rush hour began. The rush which really means a slow and steady stream of cars barely moving in an attempt to get to the same place. What if each of those cars had four people in the instead of one? Would the heartbeat of the city change? Students join the Ottawa Morning Orchestra, I hear the doors open and close, the elevator’s chime as it announces its arrival, the hollow rhythm of footsteps rushing down the stairs. An the tempo picks up, the showers are on, drawers, wardrobes, cabinets opening and closing. Brushing of teeth, zipping of book bags. I watch as the campus becomes full of people heading this way and that. Each student, back pack on back, hands on the straps, foot forward, foot forward, food forward. Nobody stops to interact. I watch the cars slow down even more, stopping at the red light that I can’t see, but I always know what colour it is. I imagine expressionless faces, they’ve been caught by the web of monotony, seeing only the brake lights ahead of them, the speedometer, the clock. But I see the sun shining off the rooftops, and the trees on fire as the morning sun beams set vibrant leaves aglow. I see a city alive: each person is moving, thinking, planning, anticipating. I see the warm coffee in hand, the rosy nose and cheeks, smiling senior, who stops to capture a picture as the world rushes by. I see the music of the morning; I see a beautiful awakening; I see the world being changed.

If only everyone commuted from ten stories above the ground.

Last night I was trying to do research for my English term paper, and felt like I was going to pass out. My head was spinning, I was having difficulties reading, and I felt really weak. So I went to bed at 7:30, intending on just lying down for a bit, but I ended up just going to sleep.

This morning I woke up at 5:45, got up at 6:20, and was able to enjoy the sunrise, a nice cup of tea, and a quiet morning. It was so nice to wake up without listening to my alarm! Now I'm listening to music, doing homework, and thinking about how nice it would be to wake up early every morning.