The lost long weekend

Driving to work was a breeze today. Actually, generally that's the case since I head from the core to the east, unlike the rest of the population which seems to head to the core from all directions. Most mornings I usually feel a bit superior as I zip along the highway and see beside me a near parking lot heading in the opposite direction. But today the 174/417 heading from Orleans to downtown was strangely empty. As I'd guessed, most people are taking today off. If it weren't for deadlines, I'd probably count myself among those who opted for a four-day weekend.

While a lot of people are off, there are still quite a few who have to get stuff done today, enjoy tomorrow off, then slog back in on Wednesday and pick up where they left off. Media have taken hold of that situation and are lamenting "the lost long weekend." Productivity, some argue, will be at a low today. (No kidding... the office here is half empty - or is that half full? - and here I am writing in this forum.) Now if you bothered to follow that link, you might have noticed the following:

"While tough to put a dollar figure on the economic impact this day-long loss of productivity might have, York University marketing professor Richard Leblanc suggested it's there and it's inevitable."

Oddly, this sort of ties in with what I wanted to tackle today. But first I must ask: Why do we have to put a dollar figure on everything in this world? Seriously? Why? Have we reduced ourselves to believing economy and money are all that matter? What ever happened to living life for the sake of... well... living life? Is the means a stressed-out populace with the end being a relatively wealthy society too busy to take pleasure in anything?

On that note, I shall start in on my rant about energy drinks and what they symbolize, at least in my mind. Each time I pass the one and only chain convenience store in Old Ottawa South, I find myself commenting on the billboards advertising one energy drink or another. Marketing campaigns would have us believe these drinks give us wings, prevent drowsiness and facilitate mental alertness. Call me old-fashioned, but I think a good night's sleep, exercise, a mostly balanced diet and proper hydration will do the same thing without the inevitable crash that comes from a caffeine jolt. And those drinks aren't just your run-of-the-mill coffee high. We're talking serious caffeine levels mixed with amino acids and other fun things that may not play well together. But that's up for the scientists and lab techies to decide.

The more interesting part to me is what the energy drink craze is all about. It's the answer to some underlying need to drive ourselves to the end of our rope and beyond without a thought to our mental or physical well-being. It fits in perfectly with society's desire to accomplish more in a shorter period of time with fewer resources. (That sounds like an office I know...) It's the pressure to achieve greater feats at an earlier age (Baby Einstein anyone?). It's the belief that success is measured in dollars and titles instead of laughter and love. It's but part of a whole that is like a disease ripping the humanity from our souls.

Okay, that last bit might be a tad over-the-top, but there's some truth to it. And no, this isn't literally about energy drinks. They're just a metaphor. But more and more I see kids who aren't allowed to be kids anymore. The natural curiosity is being narrowly channeled by a society that seems to have lost sight of what it is to live and instead puts too much value on perception instead of reality. Instead of fun, we're creating artificial ideals injected with a skewed vision of what is meaningful.

Does it really matter if we slow down a bit on Monday? Will the economy crumble if we have an off day now and then? We're losing touch with ourselves here. It's not about things, it's about people. Or at least it should be.

Having said all this, I know someone is going to point out, correctly, that I drink coffee and have been known to spend evenings in the office and skip vacation. We are all, to some degree, a prisoner of the absurdity we've created. That or I'm just bitter about being in the office today :P