What Day Is It?
The following is an edited version of a piece my friend Ray Mayo of MayoSeitz Media wrote. It struck a chord with me and so I am borrowing his thoughts (and 95% of his words). For most if us, the days are starting to blend, particularly week days. But even weekends and weekdays sometimes seem the same.
But this coming Monday is Memorial Day, the unofficial start of summer. For us Northeasterners the Jersey Shore beckons. But it is safe? Not really. Social distancing and a concentration of people are competing concepts.
But we sit here on Wednesday, hump day, which seems the same as all others. The following are Ray’s edited thoughts:
“Today is Wednesday. Did you forget? It’s easy to do so, you know.” So said the friendly voice on my favorite streaming audio station this morning.
She’s right, of course. How often have you heard someone ask, “What day of the week is it?” It’s literally never been a more confusing question.
Wake up. Log on. Wade through emails. Spend a few hours in Zoom, Teams or Webex meetings. Wade through more emails. Repeat. Multiply by 9 weeks, and one conclusion is certain: we are missing out on some of life’s simple moments—moving around, human interaction, conversation, shopping, dining out.
Because every day seems the same as yesterday and the day before. We’ve become the one thing we were all hoping to avoid—predictable. Predictable is monotonous, stressful and results in mental fatigue. And besides, who the hell wants to be labeled as “predictable”?
Many of us feel like our new “office” has been reduced to a 1” x 2” video square. It’s the ultimate office space equalizer. An office upgrade comes in the form of a kid or a dog making a brief appearance, a welcome change to standard talking heads. We are struggling with “presentism” (having to be on screen and ready at all times) and video fatigue.
At MayoSeitz Media, we’ve had panic over missing a new business deadline (we didn’t) and confusion on status call day of the week (someone woke up on a Sunday and logged in for a Monday call). I’m sure you’ve heard similar tales. No shame in being conscientious, right?
Today is a little different for me. I’m celebrating my first day in 9 weeks without a video call. It feels good. Like I’ve accomplished a goal or earned an award. Do I need to prepare an acceptance speech?
About 15 minutes later, my DJ friend played familiar lyrics by John Lennon…”Nobody told me there’d be days like these.” The song was released 36 years ago. Strange days indeed.
Today is Wednesday. Holiday weekend straight ahead. Be safe.
More Strumings
- Tips= To Insure Prompt Service
- It’s All Over.
- A DJ Once More.
- States Rights and States Responsibilities.
