A National Day Off

I thought I was on to something today. [note: please keep reading, but know that it is far from a perfect argument…] As I took a leisurely stroll during lunch, on what is truly a picture perfect day, I got to thinking how great it would be if we had a national day off – and as I've been informed, we do have Labor Day, but this would be different. And not like a holiday like Christmas or Thanksgiving, either. Just a random, regular day… maybe announced the week before and kind of like a “hey, United States, you’ve been working hard, you’ve had to endure a rough few years, we’re in a war we can’t win, morale is low – why don’t you take a day off to enjoy yourselves.”

The personal impact would be huge. Husbands and wives could spend some quality time with each other, kids could have a play day, you could finish that book, DVD, or home repair project you started ages ago. One-day personal fulfillment would be at an all time high. Talk about a mental health day. And Dubya, you may even score a few more points in those ratings of yours that seem to be just slip, slip, slip sliding away. (Not from me, mind you, but I’m sure someone in the country might give you a little boost.)

Of course, there is the economic impact to think of, and while an absurd amount of money would be lost on that one day, would it really be a big deal? The country would be up and running again in 24 hours. It would probably take a long time to recoup, but in the whole scheme of things, one day revenues are probably equivalent to a gas station’s 10th of a cent. And besides, there would be a spending “shift”: what isn’t purchased on the national day off, would most likely be purchased shortly before or after. In fact, now I’d hazard to say that there would be no noticeable blip on the economic radar. (But then again, what do I know?)

Of course, there would have to be some preparation involved, such as making sure you had food for the day because the grocery store vendors would also be enjoying their day off. There would be no retail capability that day, but with enough notice, I don’t think many people would mind. Think of the benefits. A chance to spend the day away from your desk, leave your computer behind and get some fresh air. A chance to spend the day with your kids, instead of catching up with them after daycare. A back to basics approach, where entertainment is found in the simplest of activities.

Now there are those “essential” employees to think about and I’d like to give them a break too. Here in D.C., about the only time we thank our lucky stars that we are “non-essential” is when a snow storm rolls through and we get to stay at home. What if emergency personnel, hospital workers, ambulance drivers etc. were also given the day off. Then we might have problems. I’d hate to have someone die or not receive the medical care they need just because I want a day to spend in the sun.

So, as you can see, there is still some more thought to be had to this argument, and many more flaws to it that I just don’t have the time to get into. I guess the bottom line is that everyone deserves a day off – on a perfectly sunny, 70 degree weather day - just because.



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Expenses (on the road to saving something):

• May 17
• Dinner: $12
• Metro: $1.35
• May 18
• Tolls: $8
• May 20
• Gas: $32
• Tolls: $8
• Dinner: $44
• May 21
• Lunch: $9
• Happy Hour: $25