Weekend Musings on ILLUMINATION — The Unexpected Tyranny of The Weekend.
Hair down, feet up. That is how I think about the weekend. A respite for the week, a recharge for the next. However, Life isn’t always the way we want it to be. Right?
Apparently so. I love the prospect of a weekend during the weekdays. The expectation of the “Unplug” moment runs high over the week and gets higher as it approaches Thursday. I could smell it on Thursday morning. I would already be running through the unstructured list of activities I want to do in order to reclaim a decent dose of sanity back into my unstructured business life.
“I can finally go to that café for a latte and hit the books.”
I love those thoughts.
It brings a smile on my face.
And that smile would last till Friday evening.
Only.
That is because The Tyranny of the Weekend will begin from there.
I realised that it is easy to be hijacked the moment I get home on a Friday evening. It feels as if everyone who got busy at work over the weekday would flip the switch and start fussing over the household.
I used to be bemused until I no longer do.
They would routinely say “This is the preparation for the weekend”.
I never fail to be bamboozled by this statement and I was never impressed.
Cynical and Tired Me: “What does that even mean?”
After many years of Weekend grind, I could finally sort the Weekend preparation into 3 major categories.
Category 1: Cleaning.
Some of my household members are bestowed with acute 5 senses.
They can see what I can’t.
“Why aren’t you pick that strand of hair on the floor?”
“Can you please drink your cup of water carefully? You spilt 2 giant droplets of water here!”
“The chairs by the dining table isn’t arranged properly. Can’t you see that they are out of position?”
Sometimes it is visual.
Sometimes it is sensual.
“Can you go change your top? It smells.”
“Did you rinse your mouth? I can smell coffee from here.”
Occasionally, it is audio.
“DO YOU NEED TO UP THE TELEVISION VOLUME THAT HIGH? I CAN’T EVEN HEAR ANYTHING ELSE!”
Yes.
That is precisely the point. I, don’t want to hear anything else.
Especially when it comes to household chores.
Category 2: Cooking.
Gosh, I never knew why cooking is associated with love.
Maybe it is, but I just couldn’t perform that association.
I associate it with physical fatigue.
Every part of the Weekend-cooking value chain is laborious and mind-boggling.
Multiple peace-disturbing soundbites would hit my eardrums starting from the chopping, to the eating to the endless washing.
These soundbites are endless, starting from having our meals at the dining table …
“This chicken dice is too big!”
“That chicken dice is too small!”
“That chicken dice looks uneven!”
“This broccoli looks terrible. Did you even bother to chop it smaller?”
… To observing cleanliness and manners at the dining table …
“Why can’t you ensure that the plate is 100% placed within the table mat?”
“Oh my gosh, you just spilt paprika on the table and it might damage the surface!”
“Why are you eating so quickly? We should have a relaxing family dinner, right?”
… To washing and cleaning the utensils at the kitchen sink …
“You are SPILLING WATER ALL OVER AS YOU CLEAN!”
“Can you wash those spoons again? It looks like the oil stains are not completely washed off. We could get diarrhoea!”.
I have a good solution. We will eat out.
And I get to eat anyway I want without worrying about making the table dirty.
It is a brilliant suggestion.
To me.
Category 3 — “Talk to Me Please!”
I hope that someone, somewhere, somehow will publish a paper on the harmful effects of families staying at home together over the weekend.
And I hope the opening chapter would cover “Attention Seeking Family Members and How to Deal with Them”.
It is as if conversations in school and office isn’t enough.
Truthfully, I prefer to rest my mouth and seek some peace and quiet at home over the weekend.
It is impossible in a household containing more than 1 family member.
Reading news to catch up with current affairs and financial developments is a perceived element of distraction. It “prevents” family members from spending quality time talking about influencer paddling T-Shirts online.
Staring the phone reading an electronic book is undesired because it prevents a conversation exchange over the rising prices of fresh vegetables.
Okay.
And it does get unbearable.
When it does — I will do this.
I would just lock myself in the toilet for an hour.
So that I can do as I please.
Especially over the weekend.
I wonder if there are other people out there who prefer to be left alone.
There is just too much noise within the weekend household.
Maybe that is why I choose to spend time typing this article on a breezy Saturday afternoon.
At least, I feel much better after typing.
That is, until an unwelcome soundbite hits my ear-drums.
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About the Author:
As a Consultant by training, I believe in making the complex simple.
Because simplicity adds value.
Simplicity helps us gain clarity, and clarity helps us to grow.
And if we are not growing, then what’s the point of anything else?
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