saturdays

I feel like most of the American population look forward with great anticipation for their weekly Saturday. Saturday allows them the luxury of sleeping in a little bit, taking it easy, and simply not having to go to work. I realize that all my parent readers are begging to differ with me at this point. They have kids to run entertain or drive all over the city on Saturdays. But still, you don't have to go to work.

Well I do. I work every Saturday. The fact that most people do not have to work on Saturday is the very reason that I do. People want to go spend their hard earned money on the things that the retailers of America sell. And they spend it well. That isn't to say they spend it wisely, but they're good at spending it.

Saturdays at work are when the worst case scenarios usually happen. Five fitting rooms stay occupied long enough to prevent others from using them and you from cleaning them out. Four different people want four different things and three-fourths of them are mad at you for not giving them your full attention. Three set of people (only one of which was included in the afore mentioned foursome) have been let down by your having to inform them that you don't have the item they want in their size. Two kids are running in and out of your fixtures knocking clothes off while they play an eternal game of tag. One couple from any given affluent neighborhood comes in and wants you to hold their hand while you tell them what they need for their trip, and then they tell you you're wrong.

That's how I feel about Saturdays at work.

However, the city of Addison (as suburb just northwest of Dallas) has put on a delightful community event called July Jazz that has for two weeks now allowed me ample opportunity to wind down after a long day at work. These jazz nights at the park are truly enjoyable. If you like music, then you (in my opinion) inevitably must at least appreciate jazz, and they've got you covered on that front. If you like people watching (I'm unaware of many who don't), there are countless people of all ages, with all kinds of dogs, drinking a myriad of drinks for you to enjoy looking at. Hundreds. If you like being outside and battling mosquitoes, you can do that in Addison too!

The music plays from 8:00-10:00 at which point the band, along with most of the people you were just watching, leave for the night. But we don't. Me and my friends (and the random people that always end up sharing our blankets) choose to stay and enjoy one another. We do it like the Chinese people do. No hurry, no agenda, just enjoying community. One thing we do while enjoying one another is to make a grass pile on my head. You may recall seeing it at the beginning of this long post.

Whenever we do finally leave the grassy knoll of downtown Addison, we usually go to IHOP or some other 24 hour establishment to get ice cream. We then sit at that restaurant's table until the wee hours of the morning (2:00 or 3:00am), again, enjoying one another. It is a very good thing.

So thanks to Addison for putting on such a pleasant event, thanks to Colby for telling me about it in the first place, thanks to my awesome friends who come hang out, and most importantly thank you Father for letting us enjoy things in general.