Working for the Weekend

My alarm went off at 6:22am like it always does on a work day. You might be wondering why not a round number like 6:15 or 6:25. I honestly can't tell you. Somehow it ended up at 6:22am and I just left it that way.  And through a tired haze I thought to myself.  Can I really do this every day for the next 20 years?  At what point do you snap?  I hit snooze.  I scrolled through my Twitter, Instagram and Facebook feeds.  It helps me wake up so I can get out of bed when snooze time runs out.  There it goes again.  Sigh.  Check the weather app.  Drag myself out of bed.  Get dressed, grab snacks, drive to work and stay there for 9 hours.  Summer is particularly brutal.  A lot of people are taking time off.  The empty office makes it feel like nobody is working but me.  Summer vacation ceased to exist a long time ago but every now and then I can't help but wish I could get it back.  Work, work, work.  Come home, work out, eat dinner, watch a few TV shows and relax for the next 2-3 hours left of my night.  Lather, rinse, repeat for five days until Friday rolls around and I have two days; 48 whole hours to myself in which to fit in fun and anything else that needs to get done.


It's kind of weird concept to think that the very roof over my head, the clothes on my back and the food that I eat depends on me going to a building every day where I sit at a desk and do various tasks.  If I don't go, they don't pay me and if they don't pay me I have nothing.  The very thing that prevents me from doing so many things that I would much rather do is also the same thing that allows me to do and have anything at all.

But that's life and they don't call it work for nothing.  I am one of millions and millions of people working for the weekend every day.  Hell, some don't even get the weekend and some don't even have jobs and desperately want them so I should consider myself lucky.  And I do.  Even though my tone is grim I do realize how lucky I am to have this place I can go to every day in exchange for a paycheck and the health benefits that go along with it.  I'm lucky to have the health and well being to get up and go.  And thank goodness for all of the wonderful things in my life that I love that help break up the monotony of the 9-5.  I really enjoy my weekends off spending time with friends and family or doing not much of anything at all.  We always try to have some kind of travel plans on the horizon to look forward to.

So, the question remains.  Can I get up every day and do this for the next 20 years?  And as depressing as it sounds the answer is yes.  There really isn't any other choice in the matter.  If doing this every day keep our bills paid, helps get us the things that we need and allows us to do things we want then that's what I'll have to do.  I will not always love it.  Who am I kidding.  Most of the time I won't.  Counting the hours until I can go home is more like it.  I don't hate my job.  I'm just not all that thrilled that I HAVE to go there every day.  There will be many times when I'm jealous as hell of other people that don't have to do this.  I will have more day dreams then I can keep track of about a life that doesn't include the daily grind.  Fantasies about striking it rich.  Early retirement. About turning my passion into my career or becoming a full time world traveler.  I don't know what the future holds.  Who knows.  It could happen.  In the meantime I'm tired and I gotta get to bed so I can get up and go to work tomorrow.  One day down, four to go.....

18 comments

  1. this is wonderful Cece! Especially noting how grateful you are that you have the health and ability to do it each day!

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  2. Because of the nature of my job, I can't really blog that much about it...But everything you said...YES!!!!

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  3. So I realized not too long ago that if I figure out something I WANT to do for the next 20 years then the whole thing is SO much more bearable.

    Hope that you find that too C!

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  4. I totally agree....grateful for working, but it's so difficult to go. Catch 22 :(

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  5. I love how positive and grateful you are about a topic that would otherwise make people think negatively. It's something I truly admire about you! =)

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  6. I couldn't agree with you more. I do get summers off, but I also don't get paid during the summer, so it still kind of limits that things I can do with my free time. (I really wish I could just travel for the whole summer, but limited budget equals limited trips. *Sad face*) People always say, "FInd something you love to do, and it won't seem like work." Well, I love to sleep, travel, and browse the internet. Know any jobs like that? lol

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  7. I have gotten up at 5:30 am for the past 15.5 years and I'm so over it. Great question and I don't think I can do it any longer. I'm over it. I'm trying to create opportunities that will allow me to work from home.

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  8. Girl, I could have written this post myself. Except my evenings are spent with little relaxation and lots of kid activities. But ya know what? Neither of us HAS TO work 9 to 5 M-F for the next 20+ years. I'm determined to figure out a way to make my own work schedule and do something I love... it's just figuring out what that something is. Until then, we work for the weekends. But I will not be doing this forever. :)

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  9. Ah life! But it's so true! Everything you said. I guess it's hard to really hate the one thing that guarantees that you can live life somewhat stress free.

    And I'm with you. I wake up at 5:24 or 5:39 depending on the day. Not sure why I chose that time. As long as it works :)

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  10. I used to have to wake up at 5:30 for my old job and hated it. To say I'm not a morning person is an understatement, waking up at 7:00 am is slightly more manageable. I'm ok with working but I hate how little vacation time we get in the United States.

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  11. I feel your pain....... Shoot, I live your pain everyday. But such is life! Maybe we will luck up and win the lottery... But I guess I would actually have to play for that to happen, lol!

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  12. Pretty sure you just stole those thoughts right out of my head! I am at work right as we speak, reading blogs! : ) I wish you, me, and our hubbies could run away and travel the world together! That's what I want to do with my life too...travel!

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  13. A quote from a recent New York Times article I wrote said it best. "There has to be more to life than working at a job I hate for 50 years and then dying." I know the feeling. I'd much rather be doing something else - like traveling and writing - with my time.

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  14. I love this post, Cece!!! So honest and real...and you have such a positive attitude about it all. You don't exactly LOVE going to work, but you do it because you're a responsible young woman. I too want to just drop everything and travel! I'm lucky and don't have to work right now, but having a baby is a full time job in itself!

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  15. Gosh, so very true. I like to focus on future travel and finding a way to turn my passion into a paycheck. That's the only way! I work 7:30-5:30 so the days often feel particularly brutal, but I get every other Friday off in return, which is so lovely!

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  16. love the perspective of this post because even though it sucks sometimes...it is something we have to do...i do enjoy my weekends too...thank goodness there is a weekend!

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  17. I love my job but I must agree with you, I totally live for the weekend. It's like YAY tomorrow is Friday, only one day left of work.

    I wish I had millions and didn't have to work, I would totally put my feet up and chill all week :). I might get bored but I wouldn't mind it.

    Oh well, back to reality, I don't have millions and need my day job

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  18. Before I accepted the position at my job now, I asked myself the same question--"Can I do this for the next two decades?" And I was wayyy too pleased to realize that I could, especially if they continue to pay me as they do. LOL!

    And my alarm is set for 6:18 AM. LOL! I don't know why, but I never changed it either.

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