There is Something About Friday

Friday is normally a pretty lax day for me. I tend to relax this day. My mind takes a break, and I can find some peace of mind.

I think it has something to do with the fact I realize that my brain doesn't HAVE TO connect to the rest of the routine, run-of-the-mill, hellish hamster-wheel upon which we are all supposed to be running.

Yeah, there is something about Friday ... I feel pretty good.

Such a relaxed state of mind also shows up whenever there is a blackout ... or a tsunami flood ... or a fire drill during 2nd grade in the late 1960s. Watching a baseball game also gives me the similar feeling.

Now wait! What does a blackout, a tsunami flood, a baseball game and a fire drill in 1969 have in common?

I believe they all represent a timeout from the ever-running hamster wheel, which becomes a form of a present-day prison.

• The prison is the routine.
• The prison is the set of patterns that keep us spinning.
• The prison is the tender mind trap that ends up killing our autonomy, enthusiasm, creativity and joy.  

We may not even recognize that the wheel starts turning. It may start out as a brand new job ... that ends up as the dead-end job. It may start out as a comfortable eating routine ... that ends up turning into some extra poundage on the scale. It may start out as a dream home ... that ends up being a money pit that holds you hostage at night. It may start out as an efficient way to drive to work or the store ... that ends up being a groove dug deep into the road between here and there.

The hamster wheel is also given to us - in the form of bills, taxes, low wage jobs, a high cost of living, and a limited amount of space and time to make it all balance out. As we accept what is thrust upon us, by people and debtors who don't give a shit about our happiness, we can find ourselves in places we did not want to be. And the beat goes on. And the wheel rolls on.

And then comes Friday: a window to a brand new world. Something called the "weekend" is upon us. It shone bright as a child when it meant the end of the school week and the chance to sleep in on Saturday and Sunday. It also shines bright as an adult, as the M-F workweek ends, and we're given a reprieve to focus our energy on other "more fun" parts of life.

But have we ever thought that on a deeper level, there really is no such thing as "Monday through Friday?" Have we considered that the workweek, the school week and "days" in themselves are man-made? Could that mean that we can create something new for our lives, and KEEP that free feeling in our minds each of the moments of our lives, as the sun rises and the sun sets? Could we escape the hamster wheels, without a need for a blackout, a baseball game, a tsunami or even a "Friday?"

I believe so. Freedom makes it so. Our minds can attune to what exists beneath it all: an autonomy that can have us drive another way home. A choice to eat a brand new meal beyond our creature comfort habits. A road-trip away from the safe haven of a house. A free moment in time where we see, feel and experience the deepest reality - there is no necessary allegiance to the workweek and there is no need for a hamster wheel at all. 

James Anthony Ellis is a writer and producer who likes to pick people up at the airport in the middle of the night since it's a way to break out of the normal routine of things. If you are traveling and need a ride, or you want to read more of his books and services, click here: www.LegacyProductions.org.