ONE: My phone alarm clock.
Okay, hold it right there. You’re thinking that’s nuts, and I don’t blame you. People don’t like having to get up in the morning (and if we all got to bed earlier, we wouldn’t be so grumpy!). However, I adore having something that wakes me up that ISN’T the dinging, or screeching or other standard alarm clock methods to “get the hell up right now!”
No, this gentle flower (me) uses temple bells in my phone menu, or a Spanish guitar riff from the internet to bring on a desired state of wakefulness.
Or, for an unusual morning rousing, I let loose with a recording I made of Damon Suede at a CTRWA Fiction Fest table talk a couple years ago. No, I cannot share, as it’s not my material! It is, however, Damon Suede dispensing writing wisdom and ingenuity at his best, and a reminder of why I love writing. Plus, hearing people talking gets me out of bed.
TWO: Tea. That’s right: tea. Hot afternoon tea. I know, it sounds silly, but I make a conscious practice of changing from coffee in the morning to tea in the afternoon. It’s my salute to the conclusion of the morning. With it, I embrace the second half of my day. It’s my “past the hard part” nod to the passage of time.
THREE: Last, my online circle of friends. Most of us are digital citizens and our interaction is limited thus. I know we’re not next door to one another, and some of us are thousands of miles away (hi, Carlene!). However, reading the little notes you leave – happy or sad or frustrated or celebrating – helps keep us linked. It’s like the E.T. version of the fingertips touching. “Stay.”
Pick Me Ups – Do you have a favorite? Share!
Love you, Mermaid Susan! So much. xoxoxxo