I was having a beautiful sleep. I woke up feeling refreshed and well-rested. But, I knew, as soon as I opened my eyes, that something wasn't right. There was light in the bedroom. That lovely, early morning light that filters through the curtains and signals that the day is beginning.
It's Winter. This was not the dark bedroom I would have expected to see when my alarm went off at 5 am.
That's because my alarm didn't go off at 5 ... or at all, in fact. When I did wake up, it was 6.30 am.
I was supposed to start work at 6.30 am.
Aaarrghh! Panic set in. I rang work and told them I'd overslept and I'd be there as soon as I could. Surprisingly, there was no panic on the other end of the phone. The nurse on duty calmly checked if I was rostered on today - I was - and then informed me that no one seemed to have missed me. All the other staff had just gone and begun their day without questioning whether I was even there.
I really wasn't sure how to take this news... whether I should feel relieved that i hadn't stressed everyone out, or insulted that my absence went unnoticed!
Anyway, I dressed for work, had a quick breakfast and headed in for my shift. In the end, I arrived only half an hour late, starting at 7 am.
When I spoke to the other staff members, it turned out they had noticed I wasn't there at 6.30. However, they just assumed I was running late and would be on the way. Apparently that's how reliable I am. Which is actually a lovely reputation to have.
Or, maybe they're so used to me skating in at the last minute .....
