A Tale of Two Mornings, or What to Avoid if You Want a Calm, Creative Day
If you’re involved in any kind of creative work, let me tell you unequivocally how you do not want to wake up in the morning.
Recently I was hurled into wakefulness when a chainsaw revved up next to my ear.
Now, to be fair, it wasn’t exactly next to my ear. It was on the adjoining property, which, in this country of no zoning and no setback requirements, is about 4 inches away from my bedroom window, which is about 2 feet away from my ear. But when you’re jolted out of a sound sleep, these are minor quibbles.
So, I was awoken about an hour before my usual time, by a loud machine. And you’ve got to understand that, during the pandemic lockdown, I was traumatized by similar machine noises happening all day, every day, outside my office window and I couldn’t get away from them because, you know, lockdown. No escaping to the coffee shop, or the library, or anywhere.
Woken up, loud machine, trauma. I fumbled around for my noise canceling headphones and slapped them on. Then I did what we all do when we first wake up. I stumbled to the bathroom, with chainsaw noises continuing but thankfully muffled by the headphones.
And them — WHAM! on the roof directly over my head, followed by 7 or 8 loud thumps as objects hit the roof and rolled down.
I was sitting there wondering if I could get out before the roof, and whatever had smashed down on it, came crashing down on me. I couldn’t fight, I would cheerfully have opted for flight, but I was stuck in freeze. Heart pounding. Palms sweating.
The chainsaw shut down, and I whipped off the headphones in time to hear my landlady at my Panamanian paradise by the sea, voice raised, yelling es mi casa (that’s my house). I assumed she was hollering at the chainsaw-wielding maniac, especially when I heard male voices in response. Quickly I fumbled on some clothes and went out.
It seems these guys had been hired to cut down a tall palm tree next to the property line. Did they cut from the top? No. Did they attach ropes or do anything at all to guide the fall of this healthy tree, which they hacked off at the base? No.
They just grabbed the chainsaw and waded in. Welcome to Panama.
Fortunately, the roof didn’t cave in, and the next-door property owner was almost as appalled as we were.
I ended up getting no writing done that day at all. Even after my palms stopped sweating and my heart rate went back to normal, I felt jittery and anxious, sensations I’m not terribly familiar with (thank goodness). I couldn’t think straight. In fact, I didn’t start feeling like myself again until after dinner that evening.
Most days here my transition from sleeping to waking is much pleasanter. After waking when I’m ready (no reason to set an alarm), I huddle on some clothes and go out onto the porch facing the ocean where I do my stretching exercises and enjoy the invigorating sea breeze and the sound of the waves in my ears. That’s a much better way to start the day!
PS Don’t be surprised if you find a chainsaw-wielding, palm-tree-killing maniac as a victim in one of my future books. . .
What I’m Reading
Smoke and Mirrors by Barbara Michaels
Barbara Michaels is one of the pen names of Barbara Mertz, who also wrote as Elizabeth Peters. Her Amelia Peabody series is one of my all-time favorites, and she excels at writing strong, feisty female characters.
Smoke and Mirrors, published in 1989, starts out with young, innocent, naive, wimpy Erin as a young introvert who’s thoroughly browbeaten by her ebullient, outgoing roommate. But then she gets hired to help in the Senate campaign of a woman who was a friend of her parents many years before, and Erin completely transforms. Part political thriller, part mystery, part romance, Erin has to confront some difficult information about her father’s past, figure out who’s wreaking havoc on the campaign - and why - and identify a killer from the past and present, all while getting romantically entangled.
It’s deftly written, it’s fun to read, and a good way to meet the author if you’re unfamiliar with her work.
Some of the links I include in this post may be affiliate links. What does that mean? It means you pay the same — or in some cases a little less — if you click and purchase, and I get a small commission. It’s not a lot, but it helps me buy a few chai lattes here and there. . . Or, if you like what you're reading, you can Buy Me a Chai. Thanks!
Notable Quotes
Once a week, I chase men who are not my husband.
- Paris by the Book by Liam Callanan