Sundays...
I always hated them mainly because of waking up early to clean the house before going to Sunday school or church and after that there was nothing. Fun, having fun, meeting people, and going out weren't allowed back then. So, no swimming, no visiting people just sitting at home, being bored and reading the bible. Nothing so boring for children as a day filled with bible texts and preaches and of course, my parents had no time for me. Why should they? Sunday is the day of rest but according to school the first day of the week, my parents didn't want to be confronted with their child, or others. I'm not sure if they did what they liked, I assume they did except for my mother who could be called and had to work. Yes, even on Sundays she worked if it was necessary.
The shops back then were closed. Today, in 2022, they are open afternoon so only for a few hours and not every shop is. It's mainly the supermarkets, bars and restaurants and those attraction parks, perhaps the zoo if the Zoo is still allowed.
These days there's even a Sunday paper but the newspaper is close to bankruptcy. Not because no one likes to read the paper but because paperboys are rare these days which I understand. Being stabbed and bleeding to death at 5 am by a confused guy isn't a job anyone looks forward to besides the salary is too low.
It takes a long time, years, to get rid of that nasty Sunday feeling, I can tell you. From the day I started living on my own, I did things differently but that rotten feeling did not go away. Nowadays it's better. Not because shops are open now and I can do my laundry in peace if I want to, but because I increasingly forget which day of the week it is. Keeping track of the days, like the time, is no longer important to me. When I am tired I go to bed and when I wake up I go out. I do plan what I have to do or am going to do, but often I do something completely different just because I feel like it or because I haven't thought of it before.
Last Sunday, May 8, 2022, was Mother's Day.
I stayed in bed a bit longer and watched a film. I ate my presents and later on that day I did some mowing and then watched another film. As far as I am concerned, this is Sunday bliss. Just do what you want and if you don't feel like doing anything, just let it be. Relaxation has nothing to do with being forced to do nothing or going out because that's the way it should be. Going out is good for you, is a slogan that was said on Dutch television for a long time, but going out is not good if you are dead tired and you feel that you have to do it because otherwise, you do not belong.
Going out is something you do because you have the energy for it and, of course, the money if not, it will only cause stress and we know by now what stress does to people. The number of holidaymakers suffering from burnout has increased significantly in recent years. Perhaps lockdown is not so bad after all? Now man must learn to rest again, to sleep and learn new skills. Skills that save money, make us more economical, boost our self-confidence and give us something else to do than clean the house, sit still and be bored until depression strikes.
Sincerely doing nothing, relaxing, and not being useful is something that modern man must learn and then that blissful feeling will come naturally.
