I’ve worked all my life, and although I have had jobs where there was shift work, and have had jobs where I’ve worked at weekends, for most of my working life Friday has been the end of the working week. There is that glorious feeling when you wake up in the morning and know that in ten or so hours time you’ll be free! Then as lunchtime comes you know there is only the afternoon to get through, and even, as in the case of teaching, it might be the worst afternoon of the week, it doesn’t matter! It’s Friday! There is that little buzz of excitement, that anticipation, that even if you have nothing planned, nothing exciting apart from housework, gardening ironing and chores… it doesn’t matter because it is the weekend and you’re NOT at work!
I work at home writing now, and although I have various commitments during the week, voluntary teaching, classes, meetings, I am free to plan my days how I want. I get up and get to work writing straight away, having deviated only to make a cup of tea. I stop to do chores and perhaps go out with my husband for a little jaunt, cook meals, faff about (I’m very good at that) but most of my time is writing…
I may be able to live as I please, do what I want when I want, go to bed in the early hours of the morning, sleep past the sports news on the Today programme, eat at funny times, go for a day out… it doesn’t matter. When it is Friday afternoon I still have that tingling, that barely suppressed thrill of knowing that it’s nearly the weekend! it’s that Friday afternoon feeling!
Lois Elsden 