What in the world would I be doing up at 5am, you might ask? Two answers:
- Supporting my wife.
- Seminary
My wife is substitute teaching our church’s early morning seminary class for a week while the regular teacher is away on vacation.
For the benefit of my non-LDS readers, seminary is a program where reluctant youth are pulled from their beds at some terrible hour of the morning to go over to the church (or someone’s house) to read and dicsuss scriptures together. It’s like early morning bible study for teenagers.
Now, seminary is proof of two things:
- Parents the world over still have the power to make their kids do stuff they wouldn’t otherwise do, like get up at 5:45am to read the Bible.
- Not all teenagers are as dumb as we think. Some of these guys are actually super-motivated and want to be here.
I grew up in Utah which, in the opinion of Mormons who didn’t grow up there, is somehow inferior because seminary is often offered during the school day, across the street from most high schools where a sufficient concentration of LDS students attend. I can’t tell you how many times I was branded a Mormon-of-convenience just because I was able to forego the 5:45am seminary for something a little closer to 10am.
I’ll admit, my friends who had to brave early morning probably sacrificed more than I did to attend, and certainly our overall seminary experience was quite different (for starters, I was awake for a good % of mine), but I guess I should hesitate in calling one better than the other. (Probably because theirs was better than mine.)
So… in order to soften the blow, I got up with my wife today and baked cinnamon rolls for the kids, something I didn’t have to do, but something I hope can make up for the years I enjoyed the benefit of non-early-morning seminary.
Now, that’s going well beyond the call of duty 🙂
Now that’s support! Let’s see how you do tomorrow…
Early morning IS superior. I went 3 years to early and 1 year to release time. The teacher was better, more experienced and smarter at release time. However the sacrifice required to come to early morning made you learn much much more and helped you in your day much more.
BUT like anything else, it was totally what you put into it. I know kids who NEVER came to early morning and got nothing and I know kids that never came to release time and got nothing. A kid who tries in release time can learn just as much and get just as great an experience.
All that being said. I am so proud of you popping in a pan of Rhodes Cinnamon rolls in the oven. THATS giving.
Slightly insulted… I didn’t open the rhodes… I mixed the dough last night and did it all fron scratch! 🙂 Go me!!!
Ok I admire you more. But you do all this and your wife (and you) are going to have a permanent job.
My mouth is watering just looking at that cinammon roll. You go, Sam!!
well i have to do this waking up way to early thing all the time!!! count your blessing that you only had to do it once or twice.