late at night.
or is it early in the morning?
This is what i'm thinking about. Time is so precious to me, and we have such a quirky relationship that mostly i try not to think about it.
But right now - i'm thinking about it.
Traditionally speaking, we break time down. We've got centuries, decades, years, months, weeks, days, hours.
Even more specifically we can divide them up into "ages" or "eras" or what not - but every day the most reoccurring theme, i believe, is "Morning," "Noon" and "Night."
Other variations include;
Morning - A.M. - (or for the even earlier feel/effect: Dawn)
Noon - afternoon - early evening - etc.
Evening - late afternoon
Night - dusk - sundown etc.
So, I sometimes like to break things up for my mild O.C.D. organizational habits. For instance, i consider the winter months to be Dec.-Feb. The spring months are March-May, the summer months are June-August and the fall months are Sep-Nov.
It just works.
But it doesn't work out so cleanly every day. No, it doesn't work so well at all!
Thus, my confusion is born.
Personally, I'd say "Morning" or "Dawn" is from sunup to noon-ish. So saaay 7:00 am - 12:00 pm.
Then, obviously, we've made the transition to "Noon" or "Afternoon" (which, literally speaking, is anytime from 12:01 pm, and on.) This lasts for a few hours, just a couple less than "morning" because the transition to evening comes quickly. I'd give "Noon" from about 12:00 to 3:00 or 4:00 pm.
Then we've got "late afternoon" or "evening" which lasts, i believe, until it gets dark. This period of the day is a few hours, as well from 3:00 or 4:00 pm till maybe 7:00 pm?? Something like that.
Then it's night. For sure it's night! Darkness = night, yes!? yes.
My first inclination would be that "Night" lasts until the sun comes up. The sun comes up (depending on the season) anywhere from 5-ish to 7-ish the next day. HOWEVER at 12:00 a.m. it is widely recognized that the new day has begun (just ask devout Mormons with strict curfews or on fast Sundays!!) And in my mind, every new day should begin with a morning, right?
But the "morning" doesn't start unless we have "Dawn" which by definition is the first appearance of light in the sky at sunrise. But the sun doesn't rise until 5 or more hours into the new day - which should start with MORNING!
What to do what to do!??!
Seriously - what are those few hours of the new day from midnight to dawn? It can't be night, because it's a new day, but it can't be morning because there's no sun! And almost in a metaphysical kind of way - this time of day really only exists when you're awake to experience it. Most other people are sleeping. And when you're sleeping - it almost doesn't exist at all. It's kind of like Narnia!
Oh, i know. It's quite the conundrum.
I think i'll come up with my own word to describe those wee hours post-night/pre-morning. It's the time of day when everyone is a little loosey goosey. As previosuly blogges, it's obvious to me that many let their guard down at this time of day. And as the brilliant Brian Andreas says, "I always liked the time before dawn becasue there's no one around to remind me who i'm supposed to be, so it's easier to remember who i am."
I daresay, it's almost a Godly time of day. I would go so far as to say somehow the veil of understanding becomes a little bit thinner and though it's hard to discern what is brain fart, what is loopy-exhaustion or divine revelation, there are such bits of goodness scattered within a wandering mind.
So I think it deserves it's own classification.
And being inspired by my latin-speaking choir friends from the Utah High School Honors choir concert thingy i played in tonight - i shall call this twilighted, mystical time of day
scio gaudium caelestis pre-obdormio
MEANING
to understand the joy and delight in the heavenly/celestial time pre-falling asleep.
By jove! I've got it.
Too bad i'm still not satisfied.
Ah well! Off to sleep now...
