Friday, May 26, 2006

Ode To Happy Friday

I remember when when Friday had such significance to me. The weekend was almost upon me like a father's promise of future prosperity. In high school it meant no more classes, possibly a movie, and two nights and two six packs of beer. Hanging out with Heather and Paula, with the sex-starved gang that was slowly degrading into a nudist camp, with George, Danny and Tex. In college almost anything could happen, and often did. We were all living in the moment when we weren't cramming for an exam. Girls everywhere on a campus of thirty thousand, more people than in my home town; all young and looking for thrills. Even the socially challenged had a shot. That was a good thing for me.

Out of school and into the real world, living in a house with three guys from college. We had better parties than either of my fraternities. We were a fraternity, and the au pairs were our sister sorority.

Now I look forward to chores and yard work. Now I am RESPONSIBLE. Sometimes I miss the old life; but the old life is as dead for me as the frogs I sometimes find in the catch basket of my pool filter. Even if I went out and had a few beers, it wouldn't be the same. If I hold the door for a young woman today, she says, "Thank you sir." The kids in my son's kindergarten class call me Mister, even though I tell them to call me Scott. I bitch about the music of today, and think teenagers are going to hell in a hand basket. In other words, I'm getting older folks.

I used to turn on my favorite radio station and listen to the montage of songs in tribute to Friday. My heart raced. Now it's just another day--almost.

***

I've decided that Tobias Wolff is my favorite author. I started the audio book over and am going to get more of his work. After choice passages, I rewound and listened as if it were a sweet melody. "It was as if some subliminal sense of cause and effect had taken hold..."

***

Have a great weekend!

14 comments:

Bailey Stewart said...

I think a lot of us feel that way. It's funny, I also thought that 30 would be old - then as I approached 30, 40 became old. Now that I'm ... oh, nevermind.

Flood said...

Great post. I know what you mean about looking for different reasons for friday to be wonderful.

Did you ever get a chance to see that short film adaptation of Bullet in The Brain by Wolff? I may have posted it to you in my comments, I can't remember.

Beth said...

I do yard work every day of my life and a big part of me loves it. I too remember Fridays of my youth. Last weekend I glanced at the clock at about 5:30pm and was like, "I'd be troweling on the make up now to go meet the crew before the party." My teenage years seemed like a neverending party. I am more than happy to leave it behind.

Oh, my favorite author is Charles Dickens. Living, John Irving.

jenbeauty said...

Come to Ohio and party with this Rock Star...you would not feel old anymore Scott...until the next day when you are cursing Jen!!

Kathleen said...

Until exactly one year ago I looked forward to Fridays because I didn't work Fridays. Now it's the day I resent most of all as I remember the bliss of not having to get up on Friday when everybody else was going to work. I was spoiled.

Ultra Toast Mosha God said...

I know the feeling scott..

Kids on the bus sporting flavour of the month haircuts makes me shake my head.

I know that i'm getting older...

Miranda said...

*smile* My hometown only has bout 25,000 people in it. It's funny how big a college can be compared to what you know of the world.

I'm glad people say thank you when you hold the door.
When my brother tried holding the door for a woman in New York, she screamed at him. ;)

Even I complain about the music kids listen to. I don't think it has much to do with age or how much time has passed - just with taste.

I liked this post a lot.
Look forward to more. :)

Anonymous said...

I have those responsibilities, but I STILL love Fridays! Oh, the sweetness of it. And a long weekend too. I feel a nap coming on already. :)

Jada's Gigi said...

I think Fridays are ingrained in our psyche somehow...my hubby works on Sat. and I too spend my weekends doing chores and errands so Fridays don't mean much these days but I still get that old familiar feeling leaving work on Fri afternoons....
think I'll roll the windows down and turn the radio up on my way home today...:)

mr. schprock said...

In my estimation, Tobias Wolff is a good choice for favorite author. I'm really enjoying his short stories.

Is it Friday today? Who knew?

Natalie said...

Happy Friday! The best part of Fridays is when the alarm goes off first thing in the morning and you shut it off FOR TWO WHOLE DAYS!!! Oh wait, you have kids. Nevermind.

Speaking of feeling old: Today the undergraduate working for me for the summer told me she was born in 1985.

"Oh my God! You're younger than Purple Rain!" I exclaimed.

"What's Purple Rain?"

Toni Anderson said...

I used to love Friday nights out. Now I love Friday nights in :) You must look very respectable. I just get called Jamie's mom :)

Dixie Belle said...

Although the wild weekends are long past, I still look forward to Friday as being the last night of the week that I have to work. Losing the joy of Friday night comes with time and maturity. Suddenly, the Friday night crowd is no longer your crowd. I miss those days!

Moni said...

Oh boy did that post strike a nerve; an old nerve. lol I think my age hit home when I went to a music store to buy a Prince album for my friend. I asked where the 80's music was located, because I also wanted an 80's cd. He said it's in the "Oldies" section.

It appears I'm in the "Oldies" section too. ;)