THAT SPECIAL DAY

 Today I came across a new word that describes me- Xennial. Makes me feel like what I always wanted to be Xena! The Warrior Princess! Before you get visions of the steaming hot Brunette in the black leather dress- please STOP!

 

Xennial is a word that describes people born in the cusp years between Generation X and the Millennials. Enchantingly boring, you would say. Yet, thinking of it there are so many things that we Xennials have in common. One of them is our love for a special day. The one day that makes you look forward to life. A special friend, years ago gifted me a Garfield poster that summed it up. I LIVE FOR SATURDAYS! Beamed the Orange Cat. I do too!!

 

Honestly, for most of my life to date, I’ve lived from one Saturday to the next. My school was 30 km from my home! After a full five days of travel, studies, and homework, Saturday would be my day to sleep in. No one dared to wake me up early today. It’s the cycle of Karma- what you give is what you receive. My brats refuse to get up before 11 a.m. on Saturday mornings. I remember my mom’s rants as I go through my Super Saturday Mornings! Catching up on sleep, cooking, and getting the whole week dusting and cleaning done. Simultaneously I need to take care of both the kids’ routines. We must cut nails, have oil massages, scrub our teeth and clean our ears. Ugh, by afternoon I’m exhausted! 

 

The evening however brings hope. There is something about the air on a Saturday evening. An unmistakable lightness pervades and you feel joy all around you. The effect is universal. I’ve felt it everywhere I’ve been. The atmosphere on a Saturday evening is magical! As kids, we spent these wonderful evenings catching up on new movies on VCR. Saturday nights were for rejuvenating oil massages that would keep your hair shiny and strong. All that changed in College. “What is the plan for Saturday night?” asked the cute guy beside me in the library. “What’s the scene for Saturday night?” asked the gang after marriage. My generation grew up watching John Travolta croon in Saturday Night Fever and Alia Bhatt gyrating to Kudi Saturday, Saturday Kardi! We are indeed influenced! 

 

A lot has changed after the kids, though. Constantly changing nappies makes you forget the days of the week completely. But not for long! As the children begin school the change is visible. Come Saturday, and you have a list of things to do! Birthday party invites from all and sundry! The sequence of Saturday night fever begins once more! 

No matter what the plan- whether it’s a quiet dinner with family, a wild Saturday night party or just being at home watching television. There is something special about a Saturday. You feel a certain natural high. There isn’t a care in the world. The next day is a holiday and no one can take away your freedom tonight. That’s what a Saturday means! 

 

Compare this to the gloom and unexplained depression that Sunday nights bring. As the sun moves down below the horizon on Sunday, my heart sinks too. 

Kids hate the thought of returning to school after the weekend, but we adults too can’t stop the tide of sudden unhappiness. It starts rising as the clock strikes 6. By nightfall, you feel tears rise and a choking feeling on your neck! I know couples whose kids have passed out of college. They do not need to return to the Monday Morning routine. Yet, these guys feel the same! We begin counting the days till the next Saturday! Each Sunday evening brings a longing for the dawn of the next Saturday. Au revoir dear friend! Till we meet again- On that Special Day-Saturday!