Good morning and happy Monday, folks! Thanks for including The County Line as part of your start-the-day routine.
As you already know, today brings with it a somber bit of news: The weekend is over. Aug. 13 and 14 are now behind us, history, left behind, just another blip of the past.
Hopefully, your past couple of days were filled with fun and laughter and leisure—a well-earned break from the duties and responsibilities that induce stress but also pay the bills. For most readers, this is the start of another workweek, another five days on the 9-to-5 grind. If you fit into this group, I apologize in advance, because our wannabe holiday for Aug. 15 will only rub salt on the wound that is responsible, respectable employment.
Don’t shoot the messenger, but it’s National Relaxation Day.
At first glance, the timing here seems unfortunate. For most regular folks like me and—assumably—you, this looks like a faux holiday we cannot properly enjoy. Since National Relaxation Day is always Aug. 15, and Aug. 15 falls on a Monday in 2022, the people who would benefit most from this holiday cannot, because there’s not a workplace anywhere that’s giving a shift off for National Relaxation Day. Same goes for students—no cancelations for a fake holiday. As Jay Bilas famously said, “I gotta go to work.” We feel you, Jay.
The other side of this coin is equally aggravating. Most people who don’t have to work today probably don’t have full-time jobs anyway. I know that this is an oversimplified generalization and doesn’t apply to everyone. I once had a job where my only day off was Wednesday, and another where I worked every day except Thursday and Sunday. Additionally, some people who aren’t employed are still hard at it most of the time—raising kids or keeping house or engaging in some other equally noble and difficult pursuit. That’s not the point. The point is that a lot of hard workers—I’d bet the vast majority—have to do their job today.
It seems that this fluky quirk of the calendar would but a damper on National Relaxation Day, but I choose a different perspective. I think this year’s version falling on a Monday might be the most appropriate time for a relaxation-focused faux holiday. When does someone need to relax the most? After a hard day’s work. What day’s work is typically the toughest? Monday.
While many of us might have to delay our observance of Relaxation Day until we are off the clock, we don’t have abandon the idea completely. Once you’ve done everything you have to do today for your boss or your business or your kids or your teachers, do something for yourself. Take a little “me time” to recharge. Whether you relax by hitting the gym and burning off calories or by plopping down on the couch and packing on a few calories, do it today. You’ve got a silly holiday to use an excuse, so take full advantage.
Perhaps I am not the right author to make this case. Maybe the crux of my argument has been muddled by poor word choices or an unconvincing explanation. Luckily, if I have fallen short in this regard, I can look to a better writer, one whose words can cut right to the heart of what I’m trying to convey to you. Our Quote of the Day for Aug. 15 comes from Sydney J. Harris, the acclaimed 20th century journalist:
“The time to relax is when you don’t have time for it.”
Yep. In a dozen words, the late Mr. Harris made my argument better than I could. My ego is sufficiently checked, so that’s it for now. As always, thanks for reading. Check back with The County Line throughout the day for more fresh content, always from local voices.
This post is dedicated to Sydney Waggener, Sarah Barnett, Garret Waggener, and Diana Long. Sydney and Sarah celebrated birthdays yesterday, and Diana and Garret mark another trip around the sun today. We hope each of them have the best day imaginable.
