Doors and Lights

Most days, I am one of the first few that come into the office. On days when I am first, I get to use all four of my keys – buzzing into the front door, unlocking door to stairs, unlocking stairs to hallway, unlocking office door, and finally using the elevator key stashed in our office to unlock the elevator for those who are coming in later and want to take the elevator but maybe will come in before the person who has the elevator key on their keys. (Slackers. Just kidding, I only take the stairs once and then take the elevator all other times. Not having the elevator key directly on my keyring gives me good motivation forces me to take the stairs at least once in the morning.)

I like getting in early, and like getting in first even more. Not only because I’m slightly competitive (which is completely ridiculous, I know) but because it gives me time to settle in quietly, arrange all my stuff neatly, and get ready to start the day without having to deal with early morning conversation that I am not properly warmed up for yet.

Today I got in first, since most of the other people who generally get in before me are away on conferences and business meetings, and I was a bit peeved once I was coming down the hallway that there was light peeking out from under our door, thinking that the people who were last to leave the office forgot to turn off the lights. How can you forget to turn off the lights if you are the last people in the office? Conserve electricity! Conserve water! (On a side note, my mom has asked each person in our family to come up with two things they can do to save water. One of mine was to take less showers. WIN. Only half kidding.)

But to my delight and surprise, it wasn’t fluorescent light that was peeking out from under the door, but natural light, and sitting here in the calm natural light of the morning is setting a nice tone to a Friday that comes at the end of a long, draining week.

And now I am sitting here in the “darkness” that isn’t really darkness and hoping and praying for more calm and peace for the rest of today and the rest of the weekend.

And my fellow junior engineer just walked in and he’s okay with leaving the lights off, so hooray!

Happy Friday.