The Hours

I have this aversion to certain times of the day. I'm not really sure why but its there. And its not something that happens consciously. I just around, minding my own business when gradually I become aware of this feeling around me. It's very subtle. No obvious signs. It's just that little change in the color of the sky or a little increase in the ambient noise. Little things that you wouldn't notice right away.

For example, I hate 4 o'clock. It signals that the whole day has gone by and makes you painfully aware of the fact that you've achieved nothing. And it's not as if I realize this when I look at the time. At four, things start happening. The sky gets just the tiniest bit orangier. There is just the slightest increase in the noise around you, a few more birds start tittering, the sound of a few misguided souls out for an evening walk. These slowly permeate your sub-consciousness and start forcing their way up into your perceptive thoughts, attempting to make you aware of the fact that it’s four.

On the other hand, I like 6 o'clock. It seems to be start of the evening. You have seven, eight and nine o'clock to go before its night and you need to start the ritual to finish the day. It's a lot better than four. Similar to these are 10 o'clock which appears to be the origin of the day but just three hours later, 1 o'clock seems to be too late to do anything. It portends the end of the morning and the beginning of the afternoon when, no matter how much you try, how ever much you jump around and stamp your feet and beat your fists on the ground, you can't achieve anything even remotely approaching the concept of concrete work. You just can't. It's against the laws of nature. At least, in my universe. Or it would be if I owned a universe.

My favorite time of the day is night. Hmm, an oxymoron ( :D ). After midnight, it's all so quiet and serene. The darkness and silence hold such promise. You could dream a thousand dreams, build a million castles in the air, express hundreds of desires and never question their realization. There are endless possibilities. The whole night awaits. The darkness is limitless. Time has no meaning, there is no reference. And there is no one else you have to share this time with. You are all alone. Lord of all you survey. The world is yours for the taking. Everyone slumbers, you alone are fit to rule. You are alone and liberated.

Of course, every night is followed by dawn. And I detest that. I hate the slow lightening of the sky. The sound of birds as they wake to greet the new day. Especially the sound of partridges. They really rile me! I know that they call out at dusk too. But at that time it's drowned out by other sounds. Early morning, there is not much else. I've come to associate the sound of partridges with dawn and so now, I dislike them both equally.

So how do I handle all these hours of the day that I don't like? What do I do to get by them? How do I cope with all the angst and sorrow they cause me? My solution is simple - sleep. Sleep through as much of it as you can. Unfortunately, the pressures of society and finance tend to keep one awake through most of these ungodly hours.

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