Liberality of the Night by Abigail

Liberality of the Night by Abigail - January 2019 Scholarship Essay

The night time often hosts an environment where its participants are free from societal expectations and can utilize their transient freedom however they wish. Universally, as evening wanes into the night, the majority takes this time to wind down from their fast pace lives, making themselves readily available to tackle the next day. For me, I see this as an inspirational period of time to where I can focus on myself without the influence of external distractions. Here I can focus on maintaining my mental health by whatever means necessary whether it be in the form of late night reading, journaling, working out, or simply watching TV. The morning does not provide this luxury in that we are too busy making sure we survive the day by making breakfast, getting ready for work, or in my case school, and organizing my belongings so that I am equipped for my classes of the day. It is of utmost importance to focus on my mental health to ensure that I am as functional as can be. Night is not just a time to sleep, but a necessary good to focus on myself for a period of time to ensure that my actions are acts of pure humanism, my problem solving skills are efficient and moral, and my stress levels are lowered.
The darkness of the night also brings a certain intimacy where it makes me feel like I can breath again. Gone are the societal grasps on me, the extra noises of human activity turned into soft snores and sighs. I am alone, free to explore the crevasses of my brain and to expand my knowledge. All these factors produce a very productive study environment. As a high school senior pursuing the degree of nursing, I dedicate majority of my nights to examine material that I have learned within the school hours to ensure my readiness into college. The quietness of my surroundings, plus the lone lamplight as my only source of light, literally and figuratively helps me focus only on my papers in front of me. A dark environment provides a shield to not get distracted by mindless things and to focus on what is important right now.
Some may choose to associate the night with the end of the cycle. Some may see the darkness as an event where nightmares come out to play. I see the night as a time of fulfillment, mentally and physically. A period of self discovery. A time to focus on my well being. As the sun comes out to lighten our day, the moon gleams its silvery light to awaken the fellow night owls, signaling the start of the night’s work.