Columnists
Labouring the day
Labour Day Weekend! When I was an employee, Labour Day Weekend hailed the end of the summer and if I played my cards right I could line up a five day weekend.
But, by the time this hits the Times’ boxes, Labour Day 2021 will be in the history books. At our house, Labour Day is a bit like New Year’s Day. LOML was a secondary teacher for many years and the Tuesday after the long weekend is a new school year. Like a lot of his retired colleagues, it’s the day they celebrate the non-return to reading, writing and ‘rithmetic. LOML was a French teacher – maybe he was your French teacher. Labour Day is a day for a bit of a lie-in, to pour another coffee, plan a lunch out or a picnic and to crank-up the happy tunes. Yup, we celebrate the non-return to work and our labouring past. We don’t work on Labour Day, we enjoy. We enjoy what was and what is. This year, like last September, many of our retired friends are also grateful they do not have to return to a classroom during a pandemic. Being an education professional is a difficult calling but, being a dedicated educator during a pandemic is a huge challenge.
As many of you watch your children, or grandchildren, head off to in-person learning on Tuesday, it wouldn’t hurt to give them an extra hug and kiss because it’s going to be difficult for you to watch them go off into the unknown. It’s likely going to be a stressful day for them, too. Even if your kids are full of piss and vinegar, underneath it all they’re just as tense about returning to the classroom as you probably are. Most students have been at home, planted in front of a screen or being homeschooled by a parent, grandparent or friend, for months. Most kids know what’s going on in the world – believe it or not – and it is bound to be both exhilarating and terrifying for them. I remember seeing our kids off to school on their first day after the summer break. I was full of emotions and terrified for them. Were they going to like their teacher? Were they going to be in a class with their old friends? Will they have a good time at recess? Will they be bullied, or will they be the bully? Will they eat all of their lunch? Will they be safe? To that list, on the first day back 2021, you’ll be wondering if they will remember to wash and “hanitize” (as one young fellow referred to sanitizing his hands). Will they keep their masks on when they’re not being watched? Worse, will they come home with head-lice. So many questions. And, this year, so many brand new complications. COVID19 makes head-lice look like a walk in the park.
Ah, Labour Day/Fête du Travail, brought to you by people who work to make living happen. Labour Day was first marked as a statutory, public holiday (in Canada) on the first Monday in September in 1894. A labour demonstration in Toronto in April of 1872 in support of striking printers led to the Trade Union Act. Without giving a formal lesson on the Labour Movement, it’s enough to say Labour Day is still celebrated on the first Monday of September. Some folks remember the reason for the Day, many choose to celebrate it as the last hurrah of summer. We celebrate with mixed emotions, remembering the challenges of the workplace, the ongoing fight for equality and equity, the bittersweet end of patio time and the return to the grind and the desk.
So kiddies, put your summer whites away. It’s time for Pumpkin Spice, ginger snaps, snuggly socks, more books, boozy bonfires and furnace tuneups. Thanksgiving is just around the corner and 2022 is about three and a half months away. If Autumn 2021 is anything like Summer 2021, we’ll be ringing in our third pandemic year in no time. Mask up! Be safe. Be kind.
Comments (0)