Monday, July 12, 2010

0003: Watch a sunrise at least once a year.

On average it takes 2-3 minutes for the sun to rise. So why is it we never actually watch the sun rise? Yes, the sun rises literally at the crack of dawn, and yes, we all like our sleep, but if it really only takes 2-3 minutes for the sun to rise, shouldn’t we be able to drag ourselves out of bed to see it happen at least once a year?

Though I'm not one to talk. While I am a self-proclaimed “morning person”, I never find myself getting up or at least looking out the window or finding the perfect spot to watch the sun rise.

The last time I recall watching a sunrise was two and a half years ago, when in Israel on Birthright. We had been up half the night camping in the Negev in Bedouin tents where we actually watched the sun set the night before. We were woken up mere hours after we fell asleep, piled into our bus the next morning, and were swept off to Masada. We hiked up the old battle fortress as quickly as possible, and then it happened: the sun rose:
We watched in silence; the only sounds heard were the snapping of cameras… no one wanted to miss this. It truly was one of the most beautiful, breathtaking, and dare I say spiritual, sunrises I have ever experienced. And while it was the “crack of dawn”, it was totally worth it.

In the words of John Denver:

Sunshine on my shoulders makes me happy
Sunshine in my eyes can make me cry
Sunshine on the water looks so lovely
Sunshine almost always makes me high

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