Since my husband and I live and work together 24/7, we've discovered it's essential for each of us to have our "private" time. (I'm writing this at 11 pm and so I'm intruding on my husband's temporal turf. However I'll argue that since we didn't knock off work until 10:30 pm, I'm entitled to spend a few minutes sipping a late-night glass of wine.) My husband is a night owl and can easily stay up until 2 am. I'm a morning person and it's nothing for me to get up at 4 am. And in this way, we achieve a balance between us so we're recharged, because we've had our personal decompression time.
So here's an article claiming that morning people rule the world.
While the ego part of me would like to agree, I feel compelled to speak in defense of night owls. My husband is the genius and the brains behind the home business that has supported us for seventeen years. He's the one who busts fanny to provide for his family. My gosh, if he wants to stay up until 2 am doing his own thing and then sleep a little later, he's earned it.
The article notes, "[Night owls] tend to be more creative, intelligent, humorous and extroverted. They are the balance to morning people, who are said to be more optimistic, proactive and conscientious."
So while folks love to praise the presumed virtue of early hours, I'll plug for the creative genius of my husband despite the (cough) "laziness" associated with late nights and late mornings.
I'm the night owl and my husband is the early bird. However, he's the more creative, intelligent, and extrovert. I'm the optimistic, proactive and conscientious one. Interesting how it's flip-flopped in our house.
ReplyDeleteI too get a little irked when my husband encroaches on my "temporal turf". Because let's face it I NEVER intrude on his morning time. Sometimes I feel like a vampire, because as the sun starts to shine in the window I hiss and pull the shades. My husband on the other hand, will actually get up to watch the sun rise. I'll never understand that. We're a good pair.
Margaret
California
Night Owl, Morning Person - both are important. I mean, it takes all kinds. If not for night owls, we'd probably never have the electric light bulb. If not for morning people, we'd never have had the coffee maker. (Coffee maker? I think I just dated myself.)
ReplyDeleteHow nice that you and your husband have worked out a win-win arrangement despite (or because of) your differences. Complementary routines apparently contribute to successful marriages.
As far as morning people ruling the world, they are the people who have screwed things up so badly? Good to know.
Anonymous Twit (night owl, unless something exciting is scheduled for the morning)
USA
Funny, I read this article and just had to laugh. I am the morning person in the family, my husband is definitely the night owl. He claims that his best working time is 8p-midnight. I would say that we are a good team but he is definitely the one that rules the world of business around here.
ReplyDeleteThe article sounds like something out of evilution!
ReplyDeleteI deny that 7am even exists. I don't see it happen. 3am, on the other hand, is interesting. My husband comes from a bakery family. If he's in bed after 5am, he's sick. If I go to bed before it's tomorrow, I lay there awake in the dark, bored stiff.
ReplyDeleteAnd you're right. He's the conservative,stead-fast thinker. I'm the creative,butterfly brained free-runner.
After 40 years together I think this is going to work out.
That is a very humble and honest statement Patrice. Thankyou.. It kind of backs up what I have been imagining for a long time. I am a 5:00 AM person come hell or high water. I don't do what Don is doing so there you have it. We all have special traits and callings as it were. I have noticed how some self employed enjoy looking down their noses at hourly workers. I would suggest that many of them do not have the self discipline to work for someone else. That's right discipline. It don't mean nothin'. Just thinking that's all.
ReplyDelete