Skipping Days... Literally

During my years at University I used to spend my summer working in a medical supply warehouse. The job wasn’t the greatest, but I needed to make money to go to school and there weren’t many other options. I loved Fridays at the warehouse. People who were regularly introverted and doldrum came alive at the end of the week. I will never forget the day when I approached one of my fellow employees and after I had shared about how happy I was to know it was the end of the week he replied with, “Friday is the saddest day for me.”

I was surprised and slightly taken back. I did the next logical thing and decided to ask him why Friday made him so upset, to which he replied, “Because a whole weekend has to go by before I get to see all your faces again.” We shared a Friday laugh and went back to finishing our work.

To this day, the question, “What’s your favourite day of the week?” is a popular way to start a conversation with all different sorts of people. I usually respond with either Friday or Saturday. I mean, what isn’t there to like about these days? On a Friday, you still have to go to work, but everyone is happy and chipper. Most times a Friday is over and done with before you know it. When work is done you’re free to make whatever plans you like because everyone knows they get to sleep in. The more I think about it I wonder - what isn’t there to like about Saturday? You get to sleep in, you get to make your own schedule for the day and if you don’t want to do anything – you don’t have to. Saturday is for sitting and relaxing – hence the “Sat” in Saturday.

You can imagine my surprise the other day when one of my students told me Monday was his favourite day of the week. “Monday!?” I replied, “Are you crazy?” The more we talked about it – the more it made sense to me. What’s really the difference between Saturday and Tuesday? On Tuesdays, we wake up, go to work, come home, spend time with our family/friends and head to bed so we can do it again tomorrow. On Saturdays, we wake up, (if we aren’t lazy) we do the work at home we weren’t able to do during the week, spend time at home, visit friends/family and head to bed. After hearing his thoughts the only difference I could find between the two days was that we get paid for weekday work.


It was an interesting argument, to say the least. I am not sure if I would trade my Friday or Saturday for a Monday, but I think his thoughts about life never stopping for a weekend was well put.
It reminded me of another conversation I had several weeks earlier. A friend and I were talking about the winter and how many people often wish they could fast-forwarded the months and enjoy the spring/summer months forever. What we found interesting was that these were also the people who would frequently talk about how the days and months seem to fly by and wished they had more time.

Life is about enjoying each day for what it is. May it be a mundane Monday or a fantastic Friday – they all serve a purpose in our life. Whatever that purpose may be – it won’t be found in fast-forward - remember to press play.