Quiet Time

Last week, while driving "Judah" back home after the Met's game (ok, after the seventh inning of the Mets game), I asked Judah what time he had to get up the next morning. (His school is a ways away from his new home). He started asking me when I got up during the week. Then he asked about Shabbos morning.

I told him I usually got up at around 7:15. I explained that the hour before I leave for shul is my only "quiet time" of the whole week. I am the only one up and I cherish that time to read or learn and have my cup of coffee.

Judah said that he also enjoys quiet time at his new home. He gets home before anyone else and gets to spend some time alone every day. (He didn't have any quiet time in over four years in his residence).

This discussion got me thinking about quiet time in general.

It used to be that my commute on the Long Island Railroad provided me 90 minutes of peace and quiet each day. That is long since farfallen.

The train ride has gotten worse and worse. People have no respect for others. They talk loudly and have 25 minute conversations on their cell phones as if they are in their own homes. If not for my Bose Quiet 3 headphones drowning out the chatter, I would go crazy.

So, my Shabbos morning quiet time is even more important than ever.

Of course, this Shabbos the Toddler decided to wake up at 6:45 a.m.

But that's another story.