Never on a Sunday

To some of you the caption will bring to memory the Song bearing the same title, Never on a Sunday rendered by the dulcet voice of Connie Francis inviting you to good times except on the Christian day of Sabbath, when she prefers to take rest and probably sleep late!

I too like my Sundays. Time away from School, college and later work. However to tell the truth I liked Saturdays better, as they always lead to Sundays. The pleasure of anticipating the day of rest has always felt better for me than the actual day of rest, which usually melts away like ice cubes left near the oven! Sundays always promise a lot and many times fail to deliver. Even if you have had a great time on a Sunday, it always leads to Mondays and back to the mill. What a wet blanket end to a day of glorious enjoyment or laid back well earned rest!

Having lived in the Arabic countries of Oman and the United Arab Emirates for twenty odd years, my Sundays happened to be Fridays, which is the weekly off day in those parts.

We plan outings with the family on Sundays (Fridays as they turned out for a long time in my life). The kids want to go out to the beach or an amusement park or whatever other attractions are available in and around where you live. So instead of sleeping late and having leisurely breakfast, which can go on to a session of some beers before lunch and so on, you get up as usual – the kids up and ready, rearing to go and ensure you are up and ready too. You decide to leave early to make sure you reach the amusement park well ahead of the others. Smart move! Once you hit the road, too late you discover there are other equally smart fellows around; many are even smarter seeing as how there is long line of cars ahead of you. The traffic has built up to the healthy usual level and you are driving and cursing in your accustomed style as on a weekday. You finally struggle for a little over an hour and reach your destination. The family gets down from the car and enthusiastically run towards all the fun activities. You continue to curse and wedge your little car between two expensive mammoth SUVs. The next step in enjoying your Sunday is standing in the long queue to buy the entry tickets. When you reach the counter issuing tickets, the never fail  “Murphy’s law” kicks in. The computer issuing tickets hangs and there is hold up with others behind you craning their necks to see what the hold up is. Eventually you have the precious entry tickets and go in. The kids have a whale of a time. You begin to think, its all been worth it. 

After exhausting themselves, everyone is ready to go home. The drive back home is no better and with the day’s exertions adding to the to the irritation of the drive home. Finally you reach and park the car. After a cooling shower you sit with a drink and watch TV for a while. The wife is faring no better is getting dinner ready. Everyone finishes dinner and you hit the sack. Inevitably the mind wanders to the tasks at hand at work the next day. Daunting thoughts scramble past. That is when you make a solemn resolution never on a Sunday. NEVER AGAIN on a Sunday.....

After all you do have six whole days to lose your resolve!!