Jonathan Meyer.

At what point did we transition from real alarm clocks to simply using our cell phones? I, for one, enjoy using my running watch to gently buzz myself into consciousness. Well, now that you’re probably weirded out thinking about me waking up and tapping a few buttons on my watch, I’ll get to the point.

Not many things in life have led me to become a morning person. But throughout my journey with the newspaper, a few things have made mornings a touch more enjoyable.

For one, I’ve become quite the consumer of coffee. I enjoy dark roast, the kind of stuff that really knocks your socks off. The kind that makes your grandmother pucker her face and wince at just how bitter that piping hot cup of coffee is. From the moment my watch first buzzes in the morning, I know I’m craving a little coffee just to keep me sane.

Over the last few years, I’ve also figured out that setting out whatever you need first thing in the morning is a surefire way to earn a small win right off the bat. This morning, it was putting my work clothes right outside the bedroom so I would naturally gravitate toward them and getting dressed would be the first thing I did.

Now, I’d be remiss if I didn’t admit that I’ve tripped over said items before. My gallon jug of water was the most recent victim. Who would have thought that at five in the morning, you might not see everything lying in your path?

Something else that has helped me manage my mornings is convincing someone to make me food.

By no means am I saying I can’t do it myself. I’m just saying that food made by someone else always tastes better. Nine times out of ten, it’s true every time, and that’s a fact.

On the odd chance that someone makes you breakfast or packs you a lunch, the morning becomes just a touch easier and a little more worth being awake for.

Something else I’ve really come to love is the drive to work in the morning. Whether it’s five minutes to the office or around an hour to somewhere else in the state of Iowa, there’s something about that time that brings clarity. Having a chance to think with what are hopefully your most well-rested thoughts of the day is something I’ve come to enjoy.

Michael has told me a few times how hopeful he thinks my columns are, well, let’s just say that some mornings, the thoughts aren’t quite as hopeful. On those days, I’m lucky the windows are rolled up because I just let my feelings out. Instead of screaming into a little jar, I scream inside my ’03 Ford Taurus.

So, if you see me driving down the road at five in the morning, yelling like a maniac, drinking a cup of coffee, and looking like I have a full stomach, you can rest assured that I’m having a great morning.

Has anyone picked up that I write these in the A.M.?

Though I’m not always a morning person, I’m Just Jonathan.