If I Didn't Have to Go, Would I Get up so Early Every day?

Summary

The author reflects on their consistent early morning awakenings, questioning whether the need to use the bathroom is the driving force behind their punctual daily routine.

Abstract

In a personal essay, Julius Evans discusses the reliability of his early morning bathroom trips, which occur at the same time each day, prompting him to consider if he would sleep later without this physiological need. Despite occasional nightcaps that don't lead to hangovers, he consistently wakes up early, even on days without commitments. Evans attributes his wake-up time more to his sleep cycle than external factors, accepting his body's natural rhythm as a benign aspect of his life.

Opinions

The author views their consistent wake-up time as a natural part of their routine, akin to an internal alarm clock.
Alcohol does not affect the author's wake-up time, suggesting a tolerance or disciplined consumption.
There is a sense of gratitude for waking up each morning, regardless of the time.
The author speculates that even without the need to use the bathroom, they would still wake up early, around 7 a.m.
The author muses about the possibility of sleeping in but acknowledges their body's resistance to altering its sleep pattern.
There is a lighthearted acceptance of their sleep habits, with a nod to a childhood prayer about waking up.

I promise this will be clean

This morning, as I made my daily trek into the bathroom to handle my business, I looked at the clock and I’ll be damned if it wasn’t to within five minutes of every other time I woke up in the morning for my morning relief. Then it dawned on me, “If I didn’t have to pee, would I get up so early every day?”

Like I mentioned, my internal alarm is like clockwork. Whether I have something on my agenda or not, I am an early riser. Sometimes, I even have a nightcap and I’m not even sure why. The older I get, the more alcohol just doesn’t agree with me. But I continue to buy it and it just sits. So maybe sometimes I have a nightcap out of the obligation that liquor is in the house, but it never impacts me negatively. No hangover. No headaches. Just a nice, responsible ‘toddy,’ if you will, before retiring for the evening. I never wake up drowsy or stumbling. But I always wake up. Early!

I have the exact same decanter for my bourbon whiskey. Photo by Ron Lach from Pexels.

Now, don’t get me wrong. If you don’t have any other goal in life, waking up the next morning ought to be the main one. So it’s not that I wake up. Praise God. But I was just wondering if I didn’t have to get up, would I be able to sleep in, if it were not for having to go to the bathroom.

Every morning at 4:30 sharp, nature calls. And it calls loudly. There is no tossing and turning in the bed for an extra 15 or 20 minutes. When I gotta go, I gotta go. And again, I’m grateful to awaken each morning, but I still wonder, “How long would I actually sleep in if I didn’t have to go?” I think I know the answer. All things considered, if I had nowhere to go and nothing to do, I would still be up by 7 a.m. In fact, on Thanksgiving eve, I went to bed at 2 a.m. and I didn’t budge until 7 a.m. But I was still awakened for my morning ritual.

I think it’s got more to do with the amount of hours I sleep instead of the time of day. I guess I’m locked into the cycle of five or six hours or less of sleep. Is there a pill for that? Oh. Never mind. It wouldn’t matter. My body wouldn’t allow for that. Ok, well like I said, I guess I’m locked in. And it’s not the worse situation to have. At least I know that every night when I go to bed, God will answer my childhood prayer…“now I lay me down to sleep…” God, please let me wake up.

About the author

Julius Evans has a Master of Arts degree in National Security and Strategic Studies from the U.S. Naval War College, Newport, RI; a Master of Arts degree in Strategic Communication and Leadership from Seton Hall University, South Orange, NJ; a Bachelor of Science degree in Mass Communication and Journalism from City University, Bellevue, WA and an Associate of Arts degree in Liberal Studies from Central Texas College, Killeen, Texas. He is also a 1985 graduate of the Defense Information School of Print and Electronic Journalism and Advanced Public Affairs. DINFOS was relocated from Fort Benjamin Harrison, Indianapolis, IN, to its present home in Fort Meade, MD.

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This is one of those articles I wrote early in the morning

If I Didn't Have to Go, Would I Get up so Early Every day?

I promise this will be clean

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