Fridays Off!
Where has my attention been for the past few decades? Overwhelmingly, work. When I ran Real2Reel and Price Productions, I was on task time. Meaning, I didn’t count hours at work because the deliverable was what counted. The price was set for the finished video. When I moved to the US and became an employee, I shifted to clock time, getting paid according to my hours. Literally stamping a card or screen to clock into work each day was a stark reminder that my lifespan had been commodified. But I tolerated the trade off. It brought me some safety and routine. Such a good feeling. Until it wasn’t.
Didn’t we measure time by tasks before the industrial revolution? Three-cows-milking time? Then the new world factories needed us night and day. We detached from the outcome of our labors and clocked shifts, getting paid an hourly wage in exchange for milking those 3 cows.
How is this like your weekend? One sleep-in morning and chores on Saturday, a kids soccer games Saturday afternoon, shopping, cooking and homework on Sunday. Sound familiar? Chores, shopping, watching, and shlepping. And back to work.
Quick reminder for all us humanoids, leaning towards joy while ducking and dodging discomfort, that once we have our essentials covered, (we are paid up on our utility bills and can buy a senior movie ticket) what rewards us most are acts of service and our connection to other people. Who loves me and who do I love, how much do I matter to my community, how deep is my sense of belonging. Its intrinsic rather than bank balance or status. But without time and energy to strengthen those social bonds, well, you get it.
On to my point. Longer weekends!
Yay to the organized labor successes during the industrial revolution that revised the biblical contract of 6 days on and 1 day off, but we are fiber-optic years along, we have built much of what needs to be built, and it is high time for a change.
Let’s do this. The 3-day weekend is here.
Fridays off! If anyone ask who gave you permission, give them my number.
