It was Benjamin Franklin who wrote, "Early to bed, early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise."
Recently I found myself in a discussion with a friend who expressed his amazement at my desire to end my night early, as my curfew was approaching fast. He found it regretful that I would end my night while it, as he noted, was still young. After all, why would I want to end my day while half the world was still alive and well. Moreover, since I was single, footloose, and fancy-free, why wouldn't I indulge. There was no wife to report to, no kids to put to rest, and no "job" which I had to report to early in the morning.
So I began to explain...
First, I find that my curfew is a standard that I often attempt to follow, but which from time to time must be broken (I too have deadlines). However, it provides a necessary reliability and stability to the already and always chaotic fashion of life.
Second, in the words of my mother, "What is there to do after 10 o'clock, which you can't do before that is of any merit?" There is a reason that many of the scriptures analogize good and bad in context of darkness and light. A body without rest becomes a person without the ability to make good decisions.
First considering the stabilizing benefit of a curfew, I have found in my short life that all we have in this gift of life is time. That is the one commodity we truly and intrinsically possess. Only time. This one currency allows us the freedom to do and become anything that we desire. Thus the appropriate utilization of our time is what principally produces that outcome.
Some people feel that spending their time on the night-life, drinking, making merry, etc., is their end goal. In fact they work (spend their time) to gain the monetary currency to indulge in these luxuries. Ironically, in my experience, none of these so called "luxuries" can do anything but transfer my life's commodities to the profit and luxury of others, namely the bar owners, the merchandise owners, and other persons who bank on people's desires to live luxuriously. Meanwhile, I have become no closer to my goal.
Now I did have to add that I believe recreation (indeed to re-create one's self) to be of tremendous benefit. Consider that the Creator Himself did in fact rest for a day. If we be his creature, it would be arrogance to presume that we are more able to create than He. Rest is a most virtuous luxury. Yet, as the proverbs add, "a little folding of the hands, a little resting of the head, and poverty will come over you like a bandit." So excess within control.
So, yes....he did continue to mock me. And no....I did not give in. Instead, I went to sleep with diligent timing and cherished the notion that God had given me a warm bed, a full stomach, and the gift to dream.
