I woke up this morning, like I do most mornings, with just around 6 hours of sleep. Most days, I’m up running within seconds of opening my eyes. No snooze alarm, no coffee, no relaxing in bed before I start my day. 0 to 100 MPH in no time at all.

This morning, a couple headlines grabbed my attention instantly. The Journal Science has two thought-provoking stories, Early Risers as Mutants and Ape a Monkey, Make a Friend.

It’s a great day for me.

After all these years, I can finally blame my morning mania on my genes, actually my DEC2 gene. Seems I’m a mutant destined to ricochet ’round the room as soon as I wake. To all of my friends I’ve annoyed and amazed over the years, rising so crazed, so quickly, being “wild in one minute” as a college roommate labeled me, “not my fault, it’s in my genes.”

Today’s headlines answered another lifelong question as well.

Apparently, Scientists found that monkeys gravitate toward humans who imitate their actions, or to quote my grandmother, “Monkey See, Monkey Do” most times immediately followed by “Brian, if your friends jumped off the Brooklyn Bridge, would you?”

What a day!

I’ve known all along I’m a manic-mutant-morning-monkey; now it appears I have an excuse, someone to hang it on. I’m pointing the finger at Mother Nature. Seems I’ve evolved to be “hyper as soon as my feet hit the floor.”