National Social Week

Madame:

Yes, could be great shift—or inductive skewing! LOL  In any case, it will be very interesting to observe, especially if it is a shift. 

Adding fuel to your postulation, a successful MD friend of mine is anxious to leave his medical field and “make a difference.”  He’s linked up, however just initially, with an organization that focuses on and invests in ideas that can “improve the lives of a billion or more people.”  That’s thinking about making a difference!  He and I discussed extensively just recently of doing something in a few short years.  He’s not only very intelligent, but determined, and we both agree that when we have put our present careers on semi-dormant backburners, we’ll be ready to do things that energize us greatly!  Readers will have to stay tuned for a few more years for developments! :)

And yes, I agree.  Because the nature of our capitalism has not changed all that much—indeed, in a few respects, has even regressed—Waldo and David would perhaps be taken aback that the social and communal was not doing nearly so well (even with social media) as advances of capital.

So… I said I would be up to changing subjects.  I am wondering about the cultural and social aspects of our working schedules.  Right now, although we SORT OF have a “slow week” in the Christmas/New Year time frame, we don’t have a National Holiday WEEK, and especially not one in the high energy spring/summer/autumn cycles.

Would we be better off as a society, as workers, as citizens, and even productively, if we did?  One where we were engaged in celebrations, family reunions, energizing and investing in our relationships, community, state, and national consciousness?  I’m thinking of other cultures—many just as hard working—who  do more of this sort of thing than we do (Chinese New Year, for example).

Or do we already get all that, just in different (imperfect) forms?  It seems to me that we don’t, that we just stay AT work, but aren’t productive, because it’s Superbowl Week, or March Madness Week, or Christmas/New Year’s Week, etc.   Which means we don’t really get all the benefits, and especially the regenerative properties, from being away.  Wouldn’t we be better off if we actually took, as a nation, a week off?  Because if everybody (or nearly everybody) were really off, no one would be “missing” anything, or “falling behind,” or getting anxious and fretting.  Yes, with globalization, it might be more complicated to pull off, but we also might find that the jacked-up hyper-working model was being pushed most strongly by us (U.S.), and that the rest of the world might welcome a break.

Assuming, of course, we don’t spend it all just frantically trying to have a crazy, souped up “free” vacation.  :)

What does the good Madame think?