A Morning Person In Mumbai

It’s a good thing to be a morning person in Mumbai.

Contrary to popular perception, ‘morning people’ do not suddenly open their eyes, jump out of bed and bounce into the day. Take me, for example. I hate getting up in the morning. Especially in weather like the present, the urge to throw that damn alarm across the room and snuggle back into the warm covers is all too irresistible. Still I poke one reluctant toe out, wallow in some self-pity and think some depressing thoughts, stretch, yawn and get to my feet. This is the real struggle. The going back ‘for just 5 minutes more’…..every single morning I confess to wondering why I do what I do, live the way I do and hate my life.

When I was in college, my mother called me a real grouch. My friends however would think of a chirpy, annoyingly cheerful bundle of energy that whizzed past them every morning. Some days I felt like Dr.Jekyll and Mr.Hyde.

I guess waking up is a transition state where yesterday’s cobwebs are still clouding my brain.Once I’ve been awake for about 20 minutes and come back to my cheerful self, the day seems full of possibilities for me. I even enjoy the train ride to work…yes, even when it rains! No matter how grey the sky looks, there’s a chance it will be sunny later. If I get mud-splashed, there’s time to clean up. And no matter how yesterday (and last night) have been, there’s an entire day ahead of me to change…my life..and the world.

They call this the city that never sleeps. Yes, it certainly has a nightlife. It has to….when people travel long distances, work late and generally struggle so much, they tend to push the boundaries of the day as far as is possible. Still I feel at an advantage every morning when I look at the day, brimming with energy.

I step out of the door and take a deep breath. There will be muddy puddles to negotiate, crowds to elbow through, trains and buses to catch, deadlines to be met, bosses to face…all in good time. The day is waiting for me to bring light into it.

It certainly is a good thing to be a morning person in Mumbai.