A special calm sets over this otherwise unnecessarily bustling and strange world during the time I like to call, “earth’s little nap time.” I’m referring, of course, to the period between approximately 3:27 AM and 3:56. I always brew a fresh pot of coffee around 3:00. By this point, Earth has lulled every other being in the time zone into some form of slumber, and I feel it my unique privilege to be among those still awake. The street outside the security booth I work, typically a moderately busy road way, is void of virtually any vehicles during earth nap. On a recent night I was able to observe a turtle cross the road with absolutely no difficulty presented by a vehicle. In fact, I observed no cars 5 minutes before and 7 minutes after his extremely slow journey across the street. I’m sure my silent cheering helped him quite a bit. Once across the street, at about 3:44, I’m quite certain he looked in my direction and gave a courteous turtle wink for my support. It’s really the little things that help us go on as individuals. Once the planet has refreshed and earth nap is over, the remainder of my shift features a gradually growing stream of traffic, featuring angry and distraught drivers. Perhaps if they were to stop by, I wouldn’t mind their company, perhaps a few jokes would improve their mood. I keep an extra coffee mug that is clean, I assure you, if ever such a pleasant visit were to arise.
