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Thought for the Day: Finding and Making Time

Have I mentioned that I am retired? Oh... I may have once or twice. Things are somewhat different now that I spend my mornings in kollel. One thing hasn't changed: the coffee room, where everyone meets before first seder. Maybe the conversations are a bit different. This morning was interesting.

Me: "Such a nice change to get my morning coffee in a kosher environment." Avreich: "Your work environment couldn't have been so bad, you worked in a hospital, right?"

Ah, no... I am not that kind of doctor. I worked as a computer programmer. I said how happy I am now that after learning and davening in the morning, I can come to learn at the kollel. Someone asked what time I get up. I said, "Early." They made a couple of guesses, I just answered, "earlier" each time. Finally they decided to try the other end of the day, "So what time do you get to sleep?" I have a pat answer for that one also, "When I can." Then I explained that when I first started learning, I had to find time. I was working all day, and nights were busy with family things, so I decided to start getting up earlier."

I explained my process. I set my alarm a little earlier. Then when I found I was consistently waking up before my alarm, I would move the alarm five minutes earlier. I did that for a few years. Then I read that one will be more alert during the day if he gets up at a consistent time each day, rather than trying to get a consistent number of hours of sleep. So I calculated the earliest I would have to get up for vasikin (during the summer) and I now just get up at that time every day. "That is true? That is scientifically proven?" Yes, I did my research; you will be more alert during the day if you get up at the same time each day, than if you try to get the same number of hours of sleep.

"Don't you ever want to go back to sleep?" I grinned, "What? With all those Rashi's waiting to be learned?" That got a cute reaction:  Ok, ok... but for normal people. So, yes, sometimes I am very tired during the day. In that case I will take a 20 minute nap. 20 minutes and no more; that is enough to refresh you, but won't disrupt your ability to sleep at night. Again, "That is true? That is scientifically proven?". Again: Yes, I did my research.

One of the avreichim said: You should write a manual for bochurim. I told my wife about it and she agreed. See above.

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