Why do we spend Labour Day doing nothing? I was thinking about this (and other deep thoughts) while I contemplated whether I wanted to write a blog for the long weekend. Surely, the best way to pay full homage to the spirit of the holiday would be to do nothing.
I debated looking Labour Day up and doing a blog on the history of the day…yeah, that sounded as interesting to me as it did to you. Even if you’re a history buff you have to be in the right mood to do anything like that or it’s just yawningly (yeah, that’s a word) boring.
What about how we individually enjoy the long weekend? My kids head back to school next week, so this long weekend isn’t a joyful romp to them, more like the last meal of the condemned. If you’re an evil mommy like me, you think the drama of returning to school is kinda funny. I won’t get into why I have absolutely no pity for them, suffice it to say, I’ll be glad to get them out of the house.
I’ll be working on my basement, writing and probably doing a little work for my day job this weekend. What about you? What do you do when you’re doing “nothing”?
Debra, I love that you relaxed and let your hair down in front of us in this post.
Not the most relaxing weekend (yet) here in Portland, Oregon. We’ve been dealing with possible mold issues in our 73 year old rental property. I keep reminding myself that virtually all of my stressors are First Word problems. That is, they spring from blessings. Most of the world would love to have my “problems”.
Yesterday I wrote a short, thoughtful blog post after seeing “The Butler”. It’d be great to hear your thoughts on it if you get a moment. Happy Non-Labor Day to you.
Thank you Alison. I started Saturday Chit Chat with the intention of being more relaxed but found myself writing the same kind of posts that I put up on Tuesday. I think I may have finally figured out how to relax a bit. 🙂
BTW: Loved how you looked at the movie, The Butler and what it inspired you to write at Diamond-Cut Life.
hah, i don’t celebrate Labor day today since i am not in that region of the world but during past years (since freelance became my thing :-P) i catch myself doing nothing more often than before, work day or not… and also, doing nothing apparently has different forms, too!
From time to time, i need to do nothing in order to recharge – it can be watching my favorite tv show from dusk till dawn and not leaving the bed; OR vigorously writing in my notebook blog post after blog post for hours… it still is my way to unwind and relax and do nothing (at least, nothing work related).
This Labor day… hm, i am certainly catching up with some projects of clients who don’t celebrate Labor day either LOL – hope you are having a great long weekend, Debra! 😀
I had a wonderful long weekend. I worked hard on clearing out my basement and generally getting my home in order for a long winter. During the Christmas holidays I usually put aside one or two days where no one is allowed to visit and no one is allowed to leave the house. We get a fire going and the whole family stays in pyjamas.
I’m working on doing nothing and it feels good. I understand your thoughts about your kids returning to school… LOL. The best part is the weather is cooperating and I can spending it outside doing knothing to watch the world go by. Have a great time my friend.
I didn’t plan to enjoy the outdoors but my family did and I’ve found myself sitting in the gazebo or sitting out front throughout the weekend. Thank goodness I’m not the only one who decides how I will spend my time. 🙂
My kids already started school! I’m preparing for the upcoming Jewish holiday. Nice to have some relaxed days to do this instead of during busy work days. And my husband and I plan to celebrate our 20th anniversary tonight – not bad since we just got married “yesterday.”
Happy anniversary!!! September is a busy holiday season it’s so much better not to have it coincide with back to school, I don’t know how my Canadian colleagues who celebrate Jewish holidays keep up. I get anxious about Christmas and New Years and they are only two days a week apart. 🙂
It’s human to want to relax when we have the opportunity. Having said that, I always do whatever I need to do for business. Long weekend or not:-)
A clever CEO once told me that we lose work life balance when we try to compartmentalize everything. She thought that if you had to run an errand for home during the work day that was reasonable. The same held true if you had to do some work on the weekend. I think she’s quite correct and since she was my boss, it made life a lot less stressful. 🙂
I totally agree. I telework two days a week (as opposed to two additional 100-mile round trip commutes) and my life is the opposite of compartmentalized. I flow back and forth from work into personal tasks and back again as a matter of course. I’m also a high performer in my work. Thank God/Goddess for sensible bosses.
Wow, that’s quite the commute. I’d eventually have to listen to books on tape. Wanting to hear the end of the story is the only way you could get me back in the car. 🙂 There is no reasonable way to separate the two worlds of work and life and no reason to.
No time to do nothing. My wife has to work that day, and considering my work stems from the habits I build I will be working too. The story I am working on right now should be finished by then but I have two more in the works. One of those will need to be done before the holiday and the other within a day or two after.
They may be self imposed deadlines but they are deadlines just the same.
My self imposed deadlines are often the most important ones and therefore the most difficult to ignore. I think it’s called discipline. 🙂
Yep. That’s what it’s called.
🙂 Glad you agree.
You know what Debra? I have given this labor day thing much thought. Labor signifies, work. So,instead of being off, and just, “Yawnishing” ( just made it up ) we should engage in laborious work. After all, it is, “Labor Day!” . What do you think? Blessings.
I like the word. I’ll be working on my basement and working on my work so I’ll be celebrating???? with you.
Statutory holidays are about the only time I get two days off in a row, so I am definitely not doing nothing! I’ll be meeting up with friends and family and doing housework in between. Although I am enjoying a nice, sleepy Saturday morning. 🙂
Enjoy yourself!!