Why the Best Things Happen During the Midnight Hour
What is it about the midnight hour? Something happens when the clock strikes twelve. I’m not referring to the Cinderella effect, where you’re suddenly pulled back to reality. It’s quite the opposite, in fact. The moment the evening transitions from late night to early morning, you tend to lose yourself and completely let go.
For me, midnight has provided the perfect backdrop to some of my most unforgettable memories.
Midnight at the Movies
My first midnight movie was the Rocky Horror Picture Show (RHPS). I watched this spectacular event at the Arlington Cinema & Drafthouse, a single screen vintage theater in Northern Virginia. I say “event,” because labeling RHPS a movie simply doesn’t do it justice. The experience was as you would image. Costumes, singing, the entire spectacle. It was glorious! I sat watching in awe as die-hard fans mouthed every bit of wacky dialogue and sang along to every tune. I’m not sure anything will ever measure up to RHPS.
I’m eternally grateful to have experienced this cult classic exactly how it was envisioned, something truly magical.
Moonlit Surprises
Midnight is also the time we tend to lose our inhibitions. For reasons beyond our control, when the clock strikes twelve something happens and our inhibitions vanish. I’ll spare you the details from alcohol-induced, bad decision-making. Instead I fondly remember a time during my collegiate years when a spontaneous suggestion caught me by surprise.
It was approaching the midnight hour, and a friend and I had stopped to see the stars on an extremely clear night. As we sat in the car gazing up above, my friend proceeded to climb on top of the car for a better view. He then slowly reached out his hand and asked that I join him. It was as if everything had completely stopped. Like we were both frozen in time. Only us and the beautiful collection of stars illuminating the sky. We lay there for what seemed hours, talking about our hopes and dreams, sharing our most inner wishes.
This was one of the most intimate moments during my collegiate years.
Midnight: The Perfect Time for Mindfulness
Then there was the time during a summer internship when I discovered how small the world really is. My roommate and I had decided to step outside our comfort zone and joined a neighbor and his friends for a night on the town. This single decision would eventually change how I judged all future relationships.
By opening myself up to new possibilities, I met the most amazing human being. What started out as an invitation to go dancing instead turned into a full adventure. We discovered that card games have no cultural boundaries, that tea with evaporated milk is luxuriously delicious, and that friendships can happen in the most unlikely places. That single evening brought new meaning to the fact that we are all of the human race first and foremost.
By midnight, I knew we had reached the point of no return. We came home, only to continue the evening. Exchanging stories of growing up, experiencing our first music concert, or sharing how we each were going to make a difference, I was fully experiencing the moment.
Before we knew it the sun had risen, and we all headed out for breakfast. When we finally retired for some much needed sleep, the only logical conclusion was to pick up later that evening where we had left off.
It was the best summer of my life.
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