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Sunday, December 18, 2011

Who Changed Sunday ?

It isn’t who changed Sunday, but rather what changed Sunday. Growing up in the 60’s I learned early on that if I wanted something from a store I would have to buy it before Sunday or live without it until Monday. As an old carry over from the “Blue Laws”, no commerce was to take place on Sunday. In the early 1970’s government declared blue laws unconstitutional and businesses could be open on Sunday. Was this something that would do more good than harm? I weighed that question as my son and I watched the Green Bay Packer game together for only the second time this season. He works retail and works almost every Saturday and Sunday. Most employers won’t even let employees off for church on Sunday. You can’t argue with them because of the shortage of jobs at this time. Kind of reminds me of Scrooge. Better not complain.

It does provide a few more jobs for people and makes it more convenient for those working Monday through Friday, but I think it can also cut into family time. If your children are in school Monday through Friday and you have to work Saturday and Sunday there isn’t much time to spend with them. I think stores looked at it as just another day when they can make more money. Can you say “Greedy?” The only thing you cannot buy in Wisconsin on Sunday is a car. As a manager for AT&T I had to work at least one Saturday and Sunday every month. It was one of the reasons I took advantage of early retirement and found an 8-4:30 Monday through Friday job for the 10 years I worked after leaving there. I guess you don’t think about it unless it directly affects you or your family. Unfortunately it also gives many an extra day to shop and spend money they probably don’t need to spend. .

Now stores are also open longer near the holidays, some 24 hours and are even open on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. Honestly, you have 364 days to get ready for Christmas. Shouldn’t everyone be allowed to at least have that day off to spend with family. I feel blessed that everyone in our family will be off to celebrate this Christmas Eve and Day together.

This is where you get to call me hypocritical. After church this morning we stopped at our local grocery store to pick up all of the things my wife needed to make Christmas cookies this week. She won’t actually start them until tomorrow, so we could have gone out again tomorrow, but it was right on the way home. If it hadn’t been open we would have had to. Oh Well! I know I don’t have all the answers to fix all the problems of the world, but I for one feel like Sunday’s should go back to being the day we go to church and relax with and spend more time with family. Maybe “the good old days” really weren’t so bad.