Well, the weekend's here. And I have so much to do that I don't quite know where to begin. I have Christmas put away, mostly, but the house is a mess. There is furniture to be moved, bags of stuff to take to Goodwill, and dishes in the sink.
At the end of a work week, I am not surprised that there are dishes in the sink. And Saturday is the designated day to find the kitchen counter, so that's not a problem tonight. Tonight is the problem. It's Friday night.
Friday nights in high school and college were special nights. I went out with my friends. To a game and then a dance, or just a dance, or a movie. Actually, I only did that once in awhile. Mostly, I worked. In high school, I was very much in demand as a babysitter. Apparently, most of the kids I babysat liked me.
It bothered me, too, that I had to babysit instead of going out with my friends. But then, I needed money for college. And I lost a lot of money by babysitting for my parents. They enjoyed going out and my brother, Charlie, was too young to stay home alone. That was back in “the old days” and there was never any question whether my older brother or I would get stuck with Charlie.
I remember once, when I was very brave, approaching my mother and requesting that I be paid for babysitting my little brother. Not every time, of course, but anytime I had to give up a paying sitting job in order to stay with Charlie.
Well, I might as well have asked if I could put a rope around his neck and tie him to a tree. The answer my mother gave me was not audible. It was a look. A look I have never forgotten.
I never asked to be paid again...
And so, I sat and read to little ones on Friday night. We played games and watched television, and then I put them to bed and read to them. And then, I sat and did nothing for the rest of my Friday night. Sometimes, especially at one particular home, I was allowed to listen to the radio and I would listen to my friends call in “requests and dedications” to their boyfriends and girlfriends.
But not for me...
In college, I worked at the local department store. Friday nights were spent stocking the clothing department for the onslaught of Saturday shoppers. I worked in the Campus and Career clothing department. It was okay, but not all that good for my bank account. Normally, when I got my paycheck, I would take it to the Layaway Department, sign it, and trade it in for my new clothes.....for campus and career.....
Oh well....
So here I am, all these millions of years later......lamenting my Friday night. No plans. No schemes. No place that I plan to go. I don't even know what is on television tonight, since I hardly ever watch it. Oh, there' s HGTV but, I watch that all week. And there's football, but that's not till Sunday. Maybe the Packers will go to the Superbowl this year.....or maybe not.
It's cold outside, and warm in here. The Spice Girls are curled up in their bed, snoring....I may not have anything to do tonight but I know that will change soon. I know that the weather will warm up, the sun will shine, and I will have places to go, people to see and things to do......and it will happen before I know it......
Life is good, especially on Friday night.
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