It is not as honorable as working Christmas or Easter, so someone who observes can be with family. It is the Fourth of July and I should be off from work… which I am not.
Here’s how it works at work – seniority rules for vacation requests. And, as it turns out, I’ve been on-the-air longer than anyone else at the TV station. I am number one on the seniority list!
I forgot to ask for the Fourth of July off! My fault. I screwed up.
There’s an interesting attitude at work on a holiday like this. Everyone feels more capable of making decisions. Everyone feels more in control. There is no upper management on-site.
It’s not that management isn’t important, it’s just that (for short periods) we can steer on our own.
When people ask me if I’m upset to be working on a holiday, I say “no.” I’m really very lucky. How many people have a job they enjoy… something they happily do? It’s not like I’m stacking boxes or working the wok in the non-air conditioned Chinese restaurant where I bought my family’s dinner.
Next year I’ll try to be less forgetful. Meantime, I’m sitting at my desk, watching the New Haven fireworks on my monitor. It could be worse.