As I drive my friend to an appointment, the streets are dark but full. Who are all these people already on the road?

They are likely the nurses and cashiers that we rely on. We expect them to show up before us and be ready to receive us. We are already running late. Anything pre-sunrise is an “ungodly” hour to be awake. They probably do this every day. What is difficult for me today is normal for them every day. They are the class of people that keep society running. If they collectively decide to sleep in, civilization would collapse.

I comment on the traffic, but do not complain. I need these people. They all deserve a raise, just for waking up. I feel ashamed at how often I “need” to sleep in. I am so lucky to have a flexible job. I am so lucky to live independently. I thank God for these people and offer a quick prayer of protection and peace for the coming day.

The music in the car is too poppy, so I turn it off. We drive the rest of the way in silence. I am one of these “early-risers” today. I am the driver that my friend is relying on to get her to the appointment. I may be required to sign a release form later. She needs me today, at this hour. Just like I will need the gas station clerk in a moment. And I have needed this friend in the past to take me to the airport at another unreasonable hour. Of course, we have other friends that could step in instead. But we all collectively need each other.

The world keeps spinning, and time moves at the same rate no matter the hour. Just a few miles south, a different friend is getting home from an overnight shift. On the other side of the world, my brother is getting his children ready for bed. “Time of day” is meaningless when I converse with these people. The hours designated for sleeping are not universal. When I am fighting anxiety at midnight, the EMT is fighting to save a life. The teams in Hawaii are taking a break for dinner, and the group in Paris is just waking up. Everyone is necessary and expected to do their jobs.

Right now, my coworker is already in the lab and getting started. I will arrive two hours later and expect the first part of the experiment to be finished. I rely on her to start early so that I do not have to stay too late into the afternoon. She relies on me to stay late and finish the last step of the experiment on my own so she can leave early. It works better this way for our personal schedules. If we don’t trust each other, the system crumbles.

My friend in the car points out the turn is coming up. We pull into the parking lot and go inside, where the nurses have been waiting, and I lose my train of thought.