At the risk of sounding like a grumpy old man, I’d like to get behind a movement that I think is worth supporting. If you are training regularly, playing table tennis on a daily basis, and trying to stay in shape, holidays just seem to make life harder.
I have fond memories of Christmas; and I would hate for anyone to forget my birthday. But, it seems like holidays have gotten out of hand. It would be different if I got paid holidays. The biggest problem is that a lovely holiday like Thanksgiving ensures I’ll be doing less and eating more – a whole lot more. Even Memorial Day is problematic. It seems odd to honor fallen soldiers with a slab of ribs and a plate of brownies. Chances are, I’ll do it again on the fourth of July. That would seem to give me at least one month of holiday freedom. But, there could be some birthdays sneaking their way into a month free of major holidays. I may be able to ignore Flag Day on June 14th, but my children may attempt to overfeed me on Father’s Day.
It probably doesn’t hurt to take a day off from training. Unfortunately, the post holiday hangover can be greatly affected by a few beers, a box of cookies, half a pizza, or a pumpkin pie. It takes quite a bit of self control to navigate a twelve month holiday season. It starts with a feast on New Year’s Day. On the 18th you can celebrate MLK Day with another heaping plate of soul food, much like the one you had a few weeks ago. Since people get less exercise during the cold days of February, it’s the perfect time to indulge in chocolate and other sugary treats. I know nothing puts me in a romantic mood like an overdose of chocolate hearts. If you’re not in the habit of overindulging on green beer on March 17th, consider Girl Scout cookies. They put a few less in a box than they used to, so eating an entire box is easier than ever. Passover could interrupt your training and Easter will allow for another sugar rush in case you missed the Girlscout cookies. August has long been my favorite month. It is hot; but I really appreciate a month that celebrates low expectations.
Before long, we’re at Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. No wonder it’s so hard to stay in shape. The only logical response is to get plastered on New Year’s Eve. You can always make some resolutions tomorrow. I doubt that I can do anything about excessive holidays. It’s best to learn to navigate them so you don’t need two days to recover and get back to training. There’s actually a verse in the Bible that addresses this.
One person considers one day more sacred than another; another considers every day alike. Each of them should be fully convinced in their own mind.
Romans 14:5
I know where I stand – Happy June 3rd! Let’s train.