Greed Will Previal

I get the opportunity, every once in a great while, to voice my opinion to my husband.  It doesn’t mean he’s gonna listen or care, but I still feel like it’s worth while to speak my mind on an irrelevant matter.  It’s irrelevant because no matter what I say, he’ll do what he wants.  But that’s a completely different subject, if not an entire new and “exclusive to him” blog.

I think we find out new things about ourselves on a daily basis.  It could be something as small as a need for an organized junk drawer to something as large as changing career direction.  I have realized, and to be honest just within the past year or so, that I like  having Sundays for me.  To be more clear, myself and my family.  I was trying to determine, as I seem to always need to do, the reason why.  I’m on a constant mission for the reasons why I feel or react the way I do.  It’s on a “need to know” basis, and damn it, I need to know!  I’ll Google ailments, (my own and others), diy fix it things around the house, etc.  Google is my friend.  Me + Google = Love.  We are in a committed relationship and nothing will ever come between us.  I will research the shit out of something.  New cars, recipes, home purchases.  I will “who-what-when-where and WHY” the hell out of a certain situation.  But that’s beside the point I’m trying to make.

I haven’t worked a 40 hour week my whole life.  I was lucky enough to stay at home with my children and not put them into daycare.  I had a great mother-in-law that watched my children for me when I did decide to work.  I’ve worked many part time jobs.  I’ve had jobs that required 40 hours, but most, including the one I have now, is part time.  I work everyday, 32.5 hours per week.  In the past, I didn’t really care one way or another about having my weekends free.  Many jobs I held I had to work the weekend, but I never found myself looking forward to a Thursday because I was off.  I don’t know whether it’s my age or my patience or just the fact that I’m now putting in a Monday through Friday work week that I actually look forward to my weekends.  I usually try to get the majority of my cleaning done on Saturday so that I can have Sunday to myself.  I enjoy cooking and watching my Real Housewives (of whatever city is on that day).  I like my peace and quiet and I like working at my own pace. 

Now to my gripe.  I DO NOT  wish to run my child to a ball game.  Basketball or baseball.  I don’t want to make time to sit and do nothing at a practice on a Sunday.  I don’t care if it’s 75 and sunny outside.  I do not believe that games should be scheduled on Sunday.  I’m not going to say the Sabbath, because I’m not particularly religious about that stuff.  But hey, on the 7th day, God rested, why can’t we, right?  I want to make a great dinner, a new recipe that I want to try.  I want to have my son who doesn’t live at home over to eat dinner.  I want to sit on my deck, look up at the sky and watch the clouds roll by.  Or maybe not do any of that, but “I” want that option.  I don’t want some coach of some sport telling me what I’m gonna be doing with my time, especially on a Sunday. 

I call this greed. Greed to need that extra day to make the team better so that the team can win.  Take my evenings, go ahead.  Take a Saturday if you have to, but please leave my Sundays alone.  Let “me” decide what myself or my family will do to enjoy this day before school, work or whatever.  Let us wind down and enjoy a cool breeze blowing through the bedroom window, while the sun shines in and warms our faces.  Let us enjoy a relaxed, inviting dinner prepared by myself and allow us to sit down when WE want to eat it, not when we have a few minutes to shove it down our throats.  You have my family with a 6 day option, let ME have the 7th. 

I remember when I was a young girl, stores were closed on Sundays.  Closed.  And you know the old saying, “you don’t know what you have until it’s gone”.  Well, I know it now.  If Christmas hours are any indication of things to come, eventually retail stores will be open 24/7.  You’ll be able to go get some laundry detergent at 4am from the neighborhood store a block away.  And you’ll actually be DOING laundry at 4 am because your child has a game on Sunday.  Survival of the fittest.  You don’t stay open, you close for good. 

It’s all about winning.  Greed makes even the weakest hungry for more.  Our team MUST win.  We MUST get better.  Our franchise MUST get better sales.  Bigger, better, means winning.  I win, I get more.  I accumulate more.  The need to have “more” becomes overwhelming.  More wins, more money, more of my time. 

It’s Monday morning and I’m spending it bitching about Sunday.  The day before today.  It’s 6 days away, but it’s right around the corner.  Can we not just take a moment to breath and live and enjoy the fruits of our labor?

If we can’t do it then….. when?