Have you ever noticed how our society is so often divided into two opposing groups? Conservatives versus liberals. Mc Donald’s versus Burger King. Lowe’s versus Home Depot. Coke versus Pepsi. Cats versus dogs. Button-fly versus zipper. Great taste versus less filling…
I could go on and will, because such partisanships extend well beyond politics, burgers and soft drinks. I’m talking about the differences between people who prefer the sunrise versus those who like the sunset.
I belong to several social media groups that have to do with the Jersey Shore and people are forever posting pictures and videos of the sun rising up over the ocean. It can be a beautiful sight to behold if there’s some color to it and I fully appreciate that sunrise heralds the beginning of a new day, full of possibilities. A long time ago I had a friend who reveled in getting up at 5AM each day, despite the fact she had no immediate reason for doing so. I asked her about this proclivity and she told me, “Because in the early morning, the air is unused and fresh.” Well, she lived in a city so I guess that’s a legitimate point of view.
When I was a young altar boy, on a rotating basis we’d have a week of serving the 7AM weekday mass before school and despite the fact that the priest then gave us a ride to school and being seen in such august company by our classmates was a badge of honor (yes, back in the day), I never much cared for those early mornings and seeing the sunrise. However, back in the day when I was an avid offshore sportfisherman here along the Atlantic seaboard, we’d leave the dock well before first light and idle down the waterway and out through the inlet (the slow speed being for safety-sake in the darkness), but with a 4-hour, 80-mile run to the offshore canyons the early departure was a necessary evil. But soon the sky would start to brighten and as visibility improved, we’d throttle up and by the time the sun peeked up over the horizon we were charging full speed right at it. I enjoyed those sunrises most. Other times in my career I had reason to rise before the sun and never gave it much thought, but that’s when I lived in warmer southern regions, so I didn’t mind so much.
But there had also been times when I was in more northern latitudes and had to venture out before the sun and those mornings made me miserable even though a brisk sunrise means the day starts heating up. No thanks. But I appreciate that a sunrise heralds a new beginning; waking from slumber to start the activities of the day; that sunrise represents exciting new possibilities and screams out, “Let’s get started!”
I’m definitely a sunset kinda guy. I live in the south now and down here we like the sunset most because it means the end of the day’s toils; the morning unknowns are now known; the heat of the day is over and it’s time to kick back, relax and reflect on the now darkening day. Plus, given all else equal, the way the atmosphere works, there’s always bound to be more clouds in the sky later in the day and clouds are what provides the colors, so your average sunset is much more profound than its morning predecessor. But that’s not to say that the onset of a colorful sunset can’t also be as exciting, as it’s the beginning of the evening and nocturnal things to come. Have you ever known a bartender or server that worked in a late-night establishment? That sunset is just the start of the shift.
I live in the coastal zone where things are pretty flat and realize that for many people – given the more inland places in which they live – just by virtue of their local topography, things like hills, mountains and trees may block either the sunrise or the sunset so they really have no choice in the matter. But those who live near the coast or on barrier islands get the best of both worlds with much less obstructed views. And speaking of geography, sunset people tend to prefer the beach whilst sunset people tend to prefer the bayside, logically so.
And my preferences notwithstanding, no sunrise – absolutely NONE – can beat a spectacular sunset from a boat. The way the sun reflects off the water in a kaleidoscopic carpet flowing directly at you – while lighting up the sky in heavenly colors – is awe inspiring each and every time. And there’s only one thing that can make it even better, and that’s every 28 days when just as the sun is setting, you turn around 180-degrees and there’s the moon rising. Those are the nights I truly live for. Before the next dawn.
Comments welcomed: Editorljwallace@gmail.com