Mondays

~ beetleypete

Today is a Monday, at least in this time zone. It has little significance for me since I retired, as one day of the week is pretty much like any other now. In fact, I have only just realised that it is Monday.

There was a time when I had that ‘Monday’ feeling. When the precious weekend seemed to fly by so fast, and I enjoyed reading the massive Sunday papers whilst still in bed drinking coffee. But that was long ago, and stopped in 1980, when I began working shifts. I worked shifts for the next thirty-two years, until a week before I retired, in 2012.

That meant quite a few Mondays were not working days for me. Some were spent in bed, after working all night on Sunday, and others were included in blocks of up to four days off, after working for up to sixty hours previously.

There is a certain smugness about watching the world prepare for the dreaded ‘Monday morning’, but that is dampened by knowing that you will be at work the next weekend, when those same people are planning trips away, barbecues in the garden, or dinner parties with friends.

Because nobody wants to go out on a Monday, just because it happens to be your day off. Nobody has parties on a Monday, or appreciates you popping round in the evening, when they have just had a tiring day at work, and have to do the same tomorrow. Being a shift-worker can be a lonely existence, even more so if you are married to someone working the regular nine-to-five.

You have to re-think those Mondays. Make the most of going to places when they are quiet, and all the children are at school. Hit the shops on what is often the quietest day of the week, or go to museums when you might be the only visitor that morning. Mondays can be embraced, instead of being dreaded.

My Mondays in Beetley now mean something of a big ‘day out’ for me. That is the day when I go to the supermarket, and do the ‘big shop’. I get there before the mums have collected the kids from school, and after the large groups of elderly shoppers have gone home to enjoy tea and cakes. I can wander around in uncluttered aisles, and collect my items from the list unhindered by crowds. And I can always find a handy parking space too.

I no longer have to go to bed early, to get up for work on Tuesday. So if I want to, I can drink some wine in the evening on a Monday, and stay up late to watch TV, or read a book.

It is nice to be able to put Mondays behind me. Another benefit of being able to retire at an age when I am still able to be active and alert.

66 thoughts on “Mondays”

  5. Every day is Saturday when you’re retired. One of my favorite experiences is returning from a trip on Sunday evening with the realization, “I don’t have to work tomorrow.”

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  6. Sounds much more better than you yesterday’s thoughts, Pete! Great to have you back in “old, well know style”. Remembering Ollie’s meeting with the Rottweiler lady, today i tried to make a date for Ollie, with Ani (from Sue – http://www.scvincent.com) Lol But Sue told me Ani is Irish origin. Maybe a problem? 😉 Dont know. Michael

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  8. Yes, we retired folks have the best Mondays, don’t we? Still, I find myself feeling guilty sometimes, like I should be up early and more productive, not frittering away my time! This morning I wandered in the garden while still in my robe taking pictures of my roses. Eventually I’ll go out and run some errands – when I feel like it. 😉 Nothing wrong with that I guess! 🙂

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  10. I enjoy Mondays the same way you do now. When I taught I had a three hour seminar at 8am on Monday which meant Sunday was always busy getting ready for it. In those days I loved Tuesdays the best.

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  11. I know what you mean about the smugness of watching people scurry about in their five day 9 to 5 schedule only to have that tempered by working when everyone else is lounging. Such has been my life for the last 30 years until recently. My husband and I worked every weekend without fail. We are DJ’s. Now we’ve retired from gigging though we still run our company. Our Saturday’s are still tied up with us in the office, but at least we can have our pizza and beer in our comfortable clothes now.

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  16. Mondays at school are big ones. Setting up the week, getting the kids on track for what comes ahead. I’m usually brain-tired by the end of it. Now it’s summer break for me and I feel like you — another day, a quiet day to run and do errands.

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  17. I was a shift worker for a time. The dreaded 3 3 3. Three days, three swings, and three nights followed by 3 days off — never enough time to recover. I could not have done it for the length of time you did.

    I love the retired life, to go and shop and enjoy the surroundings when convenient. The majority of the world around me still works, so weekends still seem to be the times most tempting to get out and enjoy the festivities.

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  18. I remember shift work Mondays, when I had to keep the kids quiet in the daytime as hubby was asleep. Now my Mondays are filled with trips to the library and the gym, except today, when it was the dentist. However, I survived and came home relieved, of £400!

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  24. It’s a bit odd to be out of sync with people. I enjoyed school, so I didn’t mind Mondays that much then, and when I was working sometimes I’d be on-call on the weekend (at the time we didn’t get days off afterwards, so it just meant a never-ending week of work), but yes, I know what you mean, although in some places where they work on Sundays they take Mondays off, so sometimes there are not as many activities available even if you are interested. Enjoy your Monday, Pete. And the rest of the week, of course.

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    1. Thanks, Olga. I seem to have changed my name to Paul today. 🙂 I corrected it in edit.
      It’s true that many places close on Mondays. Most Norfolk restaurants don’t open on Mondays, at least outside of Norwich.
      Best wishes, Pete.

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  25. And that’s why I retired early too. My job was killing me (at a rather quick pace) and I wanted more out of life than trying to make someone else rich!! With all I complain about – I’m actually quite content at this point. (haha, ask me again after my morning trip to the gym!!)

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  26. I used to hate Sunday nights. Sunday nights were when I was sent back to school. Urghhh! These thoughts still remain which is rather odd. Lovely post, and always good to be able to do the big shop when it’s quiet – it’s painful otherwise!

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  27. Mondays reminds me of the Mamas and Papas……but I am with you…since I retired it is just another day….a day I look forward to because Sue makes me relax on weekends….plus MoMo has me chasing squirrels with her….chuq

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