A Matter of Perspective

Do we need another holiday?

I mean, really. We have holidays for nearly everything these days. Several of these means a day off for some workers while the rest of us continue to work eight days a week in an attempt to make ends meet.

I’ve thought about this a lot and I think we need to re-evaluate our holiday/day off policies.

What made me think of this was I had some business to tend to and when I walked up to the government building’s door I found it locked with a message that they were closed for Veterans Day.

Because they are union-represented employees they got the day off.

I didn’t get the day off and I shouldn’t get the day off. Neither should most of the people who get that day off. Most of us are not Veterans.

I think if you are a Veteran you should get the day off.

Martin Luther King Jr. Day is another one that bothers me. I’m not black and I don’t get the day off at my place of employment. I shouldn’t get the day off and neither should most of the people who get the day off. They aren’t black either.

I think if you are black you should get the day off.

Why do we who do not fall in either of these categories get to take these special days off?

I know this may upset some people for a variety of reasons, but think about it. If we actually honored Veterans on that free day off from work (while still getting paid), then that would be one thing. I am not entirely sure that we honor them on this day off by sleeping in and going shopping (because the employees at the stores are undoubtedly working).

Do we give respect to Martin Luther King Jr. and the ideals he put forth when we take that day off, again, with pay?

I doubt it.

I have decided to teach my grandchildren what these days off from school mean and why we celebrate those days.

It isn’t just a free day off from work or school. People gave their lives for us to enjoy those holidays.

There are a lot of days that we all would like to have off but because of the types of work we do, we have to work anyway.

For example, Labor Day. If you work in healthcare, someone is not going to get the day off because they have to be there to provide care for the patients.

Christmas and New Year’s Day.

Easter.

Our birthday!

I am not okay with us taking these days off without understanding why we get them off.

I am going to make sure my grandchildren understand the reasons for these days off and that they give proper respect to those who died for our opportunity to celebrate them.