I'm not the kind of guy who is so
disciplined that he works throughout the winter holidays. I'm a
unapologetic slacker at heart. Despite that, I do half-heartedly keep
my nose pressed to the grindstone from Thanksgiving to Christmas Eve.
Though I am only able to do that to the extent I have a client or
clients doing the same.
As a freelancer, I can only make money
when a client issues marching orders. No assignments, no work. It's a
fairly elementary system. I can almost count on at least one client
also working from Turkey to Yule Log; although often at a reduced
pace. From Christmas until January 2, however, I always find myself
adrift in a forced vacation. I suspect if I were on salary with these
same clients, they would find a way to keep me busy. But, because I'm
contract labor, my clients only pay me for what I produce. No
assignments, no production, no money. It's a lose, lose, win (for
them).
This in and of itself isn't
traumatizing. I know this will be the case. I mentally and fiscally
prepare for the lost 10 days from Christmas Eve to January 2. In
fact, historically there are a couple of other times during the year
when I alert clients that I will be unavailable for assignments
because of short vacations. These down times are just part of
freelancing.
No deadlines to meet between Christmas
and Jan. 2, only exacerbates for me the disorientation rampant
everywhere during that period that has most people I know feeling
untethered to the realities of time. I also deal with not being at
home, which totally disrupts my daily routines like going to the gym.
Over the course of my Christmas stay in New Mexico, I crash in two
different households, sleeping in two different beds. “Where am I?”
and “What day is it?” are questions I have to ask myself every
morning upon awaking. It's like every day I stumble out of a
long-term coma with no grasp on my place in time nor space. I have
nothing to do and nowhere to do it.
I'm of the mind that we should petition
the government to reduce the number of weekends each year from 52 to
51. After all, what's the point of the weekend sandwiched in
somewhere between Christmas and Jan 2? Throughout the rest of the
year weekends are treated as mini holidays, right? What's the point of a mini holiday in the middle of another holiday? What the hell are
you supposed to do with the weekend that always falls somewhere
between Christmas and Jan. 2? Do you go out? Do you stay home because
you are going out on New Year's Eve? What's appropriate. I find
myself adrift in a sea of uncertainty. I don't know. I think a
government that was stupid enough to come up with Daylight Savings
Time could be easily convinced to do away with that post-Christmas/pre
New Years weekend.
With all of that said, I am back home
this Sunday before New Year's Eve, contemplating the rest of my
weekend. I will head to my usual Sunday beer-drinking spot where I
will hook up with my buddy Big Jon for a pint or two. A little dose
of normalcy in the heart of this holiday, well, holiday. At least I think it's Sunday.
And, here's to a great and prosperous
New Year for you and yours!
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