The sombre spectre hung over the masses in my carriage and on the city street. It pursued people in and out of cabs, through building entrances and into lifts. It was not the Black Death but for some it was not far off. In the lift of my building one man remarked to another, “Monday, eh.” The other man lifted his bowed head with a resigned look on his face, and muttered a pained, “Yeah.” The both looked like condemned men waiting for the gaoler to lead them to the gallows.
Why does Monday have such a poor reputation? Some fear it like they fear death itself, busily occupying themselves on a Sunday night to avoid it arriving any earlier. Others let Monday dictate their Sunday, hampering any enjoyment they may get out of the fading light of their weekend. Most allow it into the opening moments of their working week and their mood adjusts accordingly, including trepidation, disgust, horror, hatred, dread and hopelessness.
Is this the lasting legacy of Monday? The Boomtown Rats posed the question “Tell me why I don’t like Mondays?” and the Bangles ‘Manic Monday’ had the line “just another manic Monday, wish it Sunday.” Monday; a day that few seem to enjoy, a day few people longingly anticipate; a day, seemingly, most are happy to see the back of.
It may just be a Western phenomenon though. In Middle-Eastern countries Saturday heralds the beginning of the work week; Monday is a day with religious significance and holds none of the negative connotations associated with the day in Western society. In many Eastern monasteries Mondays are observed as fast days; because Mondays are dedicated to the angels, and monks strive to live an angelic life. Surely something angelic can not be viewed with such foreboding, soul crushing dread as Monday is?
There is another group of people who view Monday as an opportunistic day, a time to begin a new project, outlook, challenge, and state of mind. How often have you sat at your desk on a Friday and thought - I really need to start that project, quit smoking, go to the gym, talk to Barry, or do my filing? – the list is endless. A nanosecond later you think to yourself, yeah, but I’ll do it Monday as I’ll be fresh and ready to tackle anything that stands in my way. I’ll grow an extra leg on Monday; stand tall in the face of any challenge. Monday will make me superhuman. This thinking is closely aligned with New Year’s Day resolutions – promises made in a drunken haze to complete strangers so that accountability is zero as no one will remember, and if they do, they are strangers so you’ll never have to defend your decisions.
My view of Monday varies with the week. Sometimes it is an oasis from the challenges of daily life, other times it is akin to nails down a blackboard or a trip to the dentist. Today I am distracted by the pain of a thousand minute muscles I was unaware I had, screaming at me for playing cricket the day before. To them it is not Monday, merely the next day, 24 hours after the catastrophic event. They will painfully keep reminding me once Monday has faded with the sunset.
Whichever opinion you have, one thing is certain, it is one of the most discussed and considered days of the week. However, perhaps Monday is not necessarily the enemy; maybe it is its forefather Sunday who intoxicates us with weekend spirit and then leads us willingly into Monday's embrace.
Sunday could very well be the culprit. From now on I'll be keeping a close eye on Sunday, just to be sure.
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