A Friday Aperitif
I treasure Mondays. A little against the grain. A little opposite to everyone else. But to me, something about Mondays feels more like a reset to me. It’s probably because I am a shift worker and so my weekends end up filling up with work and events and every other moment is spent doing things.
Going to the gym, meeting up with friends. Writing. Errands. But then comes Mondays. Mondays when half of the world cracks on and heads to work but I wake up slowly and start the day with coffee and a good book. When I can sit down at my desk and write and plan and drink coffee till the afternoon light starts to creep in. When I can take my time and make dinner and plan the meals for the week. I can take a slow walk to the beach if the weather is nice and sit at my favourite spot and watch the day go by.
Mondays feel sacred to me. Because life is slow and it moves as I need it to. Each Monday feels different. Some Mondays look a little busy with preparation and energy, errands and to-do lists. Maybe a gym session if I feel so inclined (but only If). But most of the time, my non-negotiable with Mondays is that I don’t want to see anyone. Well, anyone I know. It sounds a little bit mean, but it is something that I know I have to draw the hard line at. I don’t want to make polite conversation, I don’t want to catch up with anyone. I don’t want to see friends or speak to family. Mondays are quiet for me, which means my mind is quiet. That to me, means more than anything. Besides, I have 6 other days to see people.
I made a mistake last week. I filled up my Monday with work and it was a reminder of why I don’t ever do that. It left me reeling and feeling like I had to play catch up for my week. A week that should have been carefully crafted and detailed for all the social engagements I was going to be a part of, I was left feeling like everything was moving faster than I was. It felt consistently like I was off-centre, tripping on an axis that was shifted just a little bit to the left. Off-kilter. It reminded me why Mondays are the bedrock of my existence. Which I am sure anyone who does not work a typical 9-5 can understand. The importance of Mondays.
