I've had a couple jobs where I had to work weekends. My first real job was retail and I had to work on Saturday morning, but I didn't know any better back then and had no life anyway. The second job was at an insurance agency and for nine years I worked on Saturdays. About every other Saturday and ran month end reports once a month which meant working very long weekends, including some on Sunday. I was totally exhausted when I finally quit that job.

There is something about knowing that a weekend is coming up and then not getting the time off that makes me feel cheated. It's not that I always need two days, or whatever, to rest up. It's the principal of the thing. It's not just the time since I don't mind putting in long days when needed, but that it cuts into the middle of a free day. FREE is the word. It's a time when I am free to do what I want and, even if I don't have anything planned, I resent not being free to do what I want.

When I worked Saturdays at the insurance agency, we only worked four hours, but those hours were from 9:00 to 1:00 so by the time we got home the afternoon was half over. I always had a feeling of something missing when I worked on Saturdays. I felt breathless when Monday came around, like I'd been running too fast and not getting anything done.

This taking up half the day is also the problem with most church services. They hit right in the middle of the weekend and take the best part of the best day. I like walking and cycling on Sunday mornings since they are so nice and quiet. Everyone is either sleeping in or going to church, leaving the rest of us to enjoy a little peace. Saturday always seems to be a day to run errands and such, but Sunday is best as a true day of rest. It's too good to waste on church.