The Only Person Awake in the World

As a kid, I would often lie awake in bed unable to fall sleep. A concerning thought visited me most nights:
“I am the only person in the world awake right now.”
As an adult, I know this isn’t how nighttime operates. Differing time zones mean that when it’s night where I am, there are people just starting their day at the same moment. People work at all hours. Being the sole person awake at any given time is a virtual…