Morris the Cat Dancer

[bcholmes]

Do not scorn to wear the horn that was the crest when you were born,
Your father's father wore it and your father wore it too.

A few weeks ago, I went to a 9 AM meeting at my client's site. As I was riding up the elevator at 8:50 in the morning, I bumped into one of the people I work with.

"BC," he said, "I didn't expect to see you here."

"Meeting," I replied.

"Yes, but your aversion to mornings is well-known."

It's true; I hate mornings. I generally arrive at work between 10 and 10:30, which is pretty much the latest that I can come in and still effectively do the work I do. And I'm usually one of the last people to arrive in the office, too. For an office of geeks, they're surprisingly early-risers.

I survive mornings with lots of coffee. (What is it the green scaly one says -- a vile, evil substance of no use whatsoever? Feh. I have it on good authority that he's a morning person).

Except, once a year, I wake up before dawn to see the Morris dancers in High Park. High Park is right near my office, and so I get into the office between 7:30 and 8:00 on May first. People stare at me.

"Do you have a big meeting?" they ask.

"No," I reply.

"But you're in early."

"Yup. Things will be normal tomorrow, I swear."

And it's like I've shaken up their entire universe.

This morning was probably the coldest May Day I've seen in the five years I've been going there. I felt sorry for the dancers, jolly-rumble-o-ing in the chilly morning air. I saw some familiar faces -- people I've seen there for years in a row. I also saw Graydon there, whom I know from Usenet circles. Don't know if he remembers me, although we saw each other in January, at a Nalo Hopkinson reading at Bakka books.

And now, I'm in the office, with coffee in hand, watching people's mouth go agape as they pass by my workstation. Sometimes it's mischievously fun to confuse people.

Comments

ah....a fellow night owl

[deepforestowl.livejournal.com]

me too. mornings suck. I like my night job...sleeping till 2 or 3 in the afternoon is the best....must hide from the giant lightbulb in the sky! JJ