Labour Day

Labour Day was always significant.  As a child, it was the last day that the local swimming pool was open.  We would wait until 4:45 (it closed at 5:00) and then cannonball the lifeguards to get thrown out of the pool for the year.  You know what they say about paybacks – a little older and I was the lifeguard on the receiving end.

Other than that, as a child, it was significant since it marked the return to school.  Labour Day was like a reprieve – it made the first week of school only four days long.  The pain didn’t really start until the second week!  As a teacher, it’s much the same, although I’d be in all through the summer setting things up to my liking.

Maybe it was having a real job or maybe it was moving to Canada’s Motor City, but Labour Day became bigger than life with a parade and an opportunity to meet others before returning to work on the Tuesday.  That Monday night was certainly restless as I would flip and flop all night worrying about how things would go with the new classes.  Despite the worries, it never was bad.  The students went through the same angst.  The weather always seemed to take a turn for the worse on Labour Day only to turn into Essex County heat once the school opened.

While we don’t share a Thanksgiving day with our neighbours to the south, we both do share Labour/Labor Day.

Happy Labour Day!