Monday is the new weekend.

Driving back from work today, I had the radio on, as I do just about every time I drive back from work. Or drive at all for that matter of fact. And as per the usual, I was listening to country music, the only music I ever listen to. I won't make this post anything on the values or pros or cons of music, country or otherwise. The Wooden Duck preserve us, what a horrendous topic to make a post about.

But while I was listening, this one song came on, by someone I don't know, singing a song I don't know, with lyrics I don't know. I do remember though a couple dozen lines going on about how hard this person worked. I think that might even have been the story in the song. It went on about how she got up early, stayed late, and collapsed in exhaustion on the weekend, how Friday night were something or other. Blah, blah, blah. It was, I am sure, a decent enough song, all country and emotional.

It got me thinking though. This isn't the first song that I have heard about the average blue-collar job, and all the romantic burdens it entails, foremost of those being a Monday to Friday shift. The general media public still has this as the staple for such jobs, but really, is that the case anymore?

I know from personal experience that bottom of the pile jobs are not typically Monday to Friday. In fact, having a shift like that is a sign of prestige and rank. Allow me to offer an example. In the yard where I work, there are four of us, the foreman, the two drivers, and myself. The schedule is made up by the foreman. The foreman never works on a weekend, unless there is a sickness or booked day off. The two drivers alternate weekends for the most part. In a four week cycle, they usually work two and half weekends. I, the lowest on the totem pole, as it were, work typically three out of four weekends, even four out of five.

Now consider other blue-collar jobs, in fast food joints, in Wal-Marts, janitors, street cleaners, etc. Most of these jobs entail working the weekend. And I will be willing to bet you that the higher-ranking employees get fewer weekends. Jobs where the pay is presumed to be better, and the work more prestigious tend to be the ones that close on the weekends. Banks are a prime example, as well as most if not all of the financial area of things. Even the trades, which can pay fairly decently, are typically off for the weekend.

The end result? If you get the weekend off regularly, you are more likely to be in a higher end job. Our culture though seems to be behind the times in this. If what I learn from country songs is any indication at least. If those that create the media wish to be more relatable to those of us further down the line, then they might want to think about this. And maybe we should start thinking of Monday as the new weekend.







Just a note though, I don't in any way mean to belittle anyone's job, whether it be a Monday to Friday one, or weekends only. I'm just observing something, and do not intend to be judgemental about anyone's station in life. There is more to life than a job anyway.