Monday 30 May 2016

Do Writers Notice The Days of the Week?

Last week, a friend emailed to suggest meeting up today.  I was a bit surprised - wouldn't they be at work?  I carried on being surprised, until it dawned on me that today is a Bank Holiday.

If I am ever so unfortunate as to be knocked over in the street and taken to hospital I'm sure I'll be diagnosed as having concussion or dementia due to my confusion about what day of the week it is.  "Tuesday? No, can't be, it wasn't Game of Thrones last night...Wednesday?  Surely it can't be Thursday already?"

During academic term time I'm always nervous about forgetting which days are my university days.  I have lots of alarms set up to remind me twice on the days before and once in the morning.

Bank holidays, weekends...the concept of taking days off from work is a tricky one.  Outside the academic year I work from home and answer to no one for the hours I put in. I work Sundays, Saturdays, evenings, early mornings, birthdays, Christmas if that's what I feel like doing - or if a deadline requires.

The flip side is when the sun is shining,  I go to the beach or for a walk regardless of whether the rest of the world consider it to be a 'working day.'  Of course while I'm walking, in my head I'm plotting and planning and working out what I'm going to write or do next, so it does count as working. Sort of.

So as I'm writing this on a Bank Holiday morning I'm wondering, will anyone read it?  Will anyone check their computer because it's a Bank Holiday?  Or breathe a sigh of relief for the freedom to leave the computer switched off and work behind as they head for the beach or indulge in a very long lie-in?  Who knows?  If anyone is reading, whatever you do today I hope you enjoy it!









2 comments:

Penny A said...

Chiming into this one! Ever since 'retirement' from teaching (ha!) I never seemed to know what day it might be. THEN we bought a Day Clock. Now each day is announced on the dial in the kitchen. Recommended. :-)

Sarah Duncan said...

So long as it isn't one of those ones where you have to remember to turn the day over - I've had one of those, and it completely befuddled me.