FIRST DAY OFF
It is December 20, and yet I am lying on my couch wearing shorts. That does not mean that I would wear them out side, although many of the rotund population seem to find such apparel more than adequate. The reason I am wearing my shorts today is because this is my first day of Christmas vacation, and I feel like I should be on vacation.
I would obviously choose to be on a beach right now, if I had the chance, but I am not destined for the tropics. I am not destined for Cancun, or Cuba, or St Barts. Still, you can not fault me for a moment of casual relaxation. Fair enough, I have to resort to a couch instead of a hammock, but it is relaxation nonetheless. I am surfing my couch today instead of surfing waves.
In this country, in Canada, things are nowhere near as perfect as we like to imagine. We are not the country we like to portray to the world. People are more often than not forced to work long hours for minimal rewards. Even outside of the big cities, the cost of living continues to rise, and yet the minimum standard of living remains set at a level where most people's incomes would support their rent, with very little left over.
It is most unfortunate to be sure. My idea of a week in the tropics ends up being a week on the couch.
I make decent money, but I do not make nearly enough to support my rent, bills, personal life, and a trip to the tropics. Instead, I choose to celebrate my first day off in months with a moment of lackadaisical nonchalance on the couch.
Eventually I will creep back into my winter gear. When I do, I will probably hike over through the gusting snow to my parents' house for a pre-Christmas dinner. That will be the true beginning to my Christmas celebrations.
Until then, I am just going to spend a few more minutes kicking back and relaxing. It is after all, my first day off. And a much deserved one at that.
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