Is it just me or do you agree that it has been hot, very hot so far this summer? We have been in triple digits over and over again day after day. All I know is that it is hot, wear-you-down, wear-you-out hot.
They say you can’t do much about the weather. You can talk about the weather, but you can’t do much about it. In some parts of the world, people are wise enough to time shift their activities and engage in a siesta to avoid the hottest parts of the day. Here, we maintain our work schedules, increase the sweat of our brows and tough it out. We must consider the working folks, the nine-to-five or is it eight-to-eight, in tourist season, working folks. It may be time to think about giving them a break.
Looking at the calendar, we note that the cold months of December, January and February put a little zing in our steps. Here, snow is a novelty and the cool sunny winter days are almost a pleasure. Springtime is a better time as is fall. March, April, May, early June and even parts of July are more than tolerable and late September, October and parts of November are great times to be outdoors.
That brings us to August, the month where the heat lingers and continues its assault on our bodies and minds, August with its seemingly never ending, sweltering, scorching heat. If you work outdoors in August you know, August is a hot potato.
Almost every month of the year has if not at least one holiday, some sort of commemorative day. January, February, May, July, September, October, November and December each have at least one holiday. March, April and June each have at least one commemorative event. That leaves August, hot, tiring, wear us down to a frazzle August.
I propose, August would be a great month for a holiday, a day not dedicated to celebrating labor but a day dedicated to celebrating not working and not reminding us of anything else but to take a day off and do nothing other than rest, recover and recoup. Yes, I know a day dedicated to not working but to goofing off doing nothing sounds almost un-American. We just don’t do that. Well maybe it is time to give it a shot. What better time to do it than during August, the most oppressive month of the year?
Actually, we already have a head start on this idea. According to DaysoftheYear.com, Aug. 10 is Lazy Day, Aug. 15 is Relaxation Day and Aug. 18 is End the Monotony Day. In a month where there are two peach days, an ice cream day, a clean your floor day and a mustard day, how hard could it be to create an actual Relaxation Day for everybody. What a concept!
Hey, we could start this as a local holiday then move it to the state level and finally we could have a National Relaxation Day during the hottest month of the year in many places – August. I suggest the third Monday of August be declared National Relaxation Day.
If there is one thing I know for sure about my fellow Moabites, it is that there are many people right here who have the energy, ability, talent and skills to make Relaxation Day at least a county holiday. Think about it, all those build a library people, build a bridge people, build a swimming pool people, parade people, build a trail people, run the race people, farmers market people, people who made us a Green City people, those folks know how to make things happen. You must admit a holiday in the middle of August is a great idea. The day after Relaxation Day would probably be the most productive work day of the year.
I offer this idea of establishing a Relaxation Day to any candidate currently seeking office. Take the ball and run with it. You just might pick up a few votes. As the idea catches on you will become a hero to working people all across America. To all, I say go for it!!!
Geez, I started writing this on the patio. Man! It is too hot out here. I’m going inside.
Me? I’m retired. Every day is relaxation day for me, may you get yours.
Jim Hofmann is the founder and president emeritus of the movement for the establishment of a National Relaxation Holiday. He lives in Moab.
