Happy Solstice!

So before November of this year I've never really had paid holidays.  I've either had holiday pay (and been required to work), or had days off and not been paid.  Or (more commonly) been required to work without any sort of differential. 

When I was younger it was always 'you're new, you need to earn your stripes, the senior employees have all been there and deserve the time'.  Then I was older, and the senior employee and it was 'life is hard', and 'we deserve to be with our families', and 'this job doesn't pay enough for me to work during the holidays', and 'what do you care, you don't have anyone anyway'. 

Turns out, both are true.

And the weird thing is that now I finally have paid holidays off, and I have no idea what to do with the time. 

For those of us with nobody in our lives, it is a bit of a shock to not have the daily structure of a job, or responsibility, or someone who needs taking care of, or someplace to be.

I can see why the suicide rate goes up this time of year.   I could definitely see the allure if I hadn't already faced and come to terms with some of the darker parts of my life.

But I'm sure I'll think of something, though to be honest I'm still in the 'oh shit, I have a day off, I'm either using it for sleep or laundry because I don't know when I'll get another' mindset. 

In truth, it's a wonderful (if unfamiliar) sensation.

And I'm glad that, after 31 years in the workforce, I finally got to experience this before it disappears forever into the lore of bygone days...

Another of the things future generations will be taught to revile as impractical or unrealistic..

Another top-down revision in the history of the working class.