Is No Holiday Special?

[Vio&Juni]

I don't have to work tomorrow too. I work for an USAID projects and we get some of the important US holidas and some of ours (almost all). I used to work in a travel agency and I hated and really couldn't understand why we had to be open absolutely everyday when there were so many flights cancelled on big holidays.

I am invited to the 4th of July party at the US Embassy here. I had an invitation 2 years ago also. LOVED it!

[RICHARD]

working in a union shop was nice because we were paid 2.5 times the regular rate....

so if you made 10 an hour, holidays were 25 bucks
an hour!!!

also if you are single or not around family working gets your mind off of that.

the downside is that after a while you would see that the taxes on the extra money was not worth your time.....

[dogzzz]

I work for the US Post Office. In my town it takes 6 people to run it on closed days. This includes the 4th of July. All holidays. There are many businesses that do not take holidays off. The Armed Forces is a BIG one. Not everyone can take holidays off and still have America be America. If the world took holidays off we would be in big trouble.
Be glad you have a job, even if it is on the 4th of July.

[Cookiebaker]

Growing up, the 4th, Memorial Day, Veterans Day was just seen as a time to play...a day off from school...and certainly nothing I would consider "special". That was until a couple of years ago when I worked at the local VA hospital. Daily working around people (and hearing their stories) who gave their sweat and blood....sometimes a limb...sometimes their good health FOR ME and FOR YOU helped to give me an insight into who gave us our freedom, and at what cost. These holidays that at one time didn't seem too important have really taken on new meaning, and I like to spend some time to remember what it really means to have freedom. I hope what I am trying to say comes across right because sometimes it's hard to put feelings into words.

[joycenalex]

i've spent many holidays working, retail, and then the hospital. i'm an x ray technologist, and this was usually a busy day through the er and the inhouse patients. the EMTs, paramedics, fire and police, city services, they all do it 24/7/365. please thank any you see tomorrow.

[RICHARD]

Originally posted by joycenalex
i've spent many holidays working, retail, and then the hospital. i'm an x ray technologist, and this was usually a busy day through the er and the inhouse patients. the EMTs, paramedics, fire and police, city services, they all do it 24/7/365. please thank any you see tomorrow.

oh man,
you brought up some memories.....
one of the saddest things is working the swing shift (3:30 to mid), in the hospital on new years eve (xmas eve is worse).........you are waiting by the time clock to punch out at 12.......it's like, Happy New Year! as you walk by the other poor souls that are showing up for work.....

x ray people are worth gold on those evenings.....you get so many accidents it's not funny!

thank you j and a!!!

[joycenalex]

...x ray people are worth gold on those evenings.....you get so many accidents it's not funny! thank you j and a
richard, i can't totally accept your thanks, i finally accumulated enough senority and moved to the off site clinic side, now i work a 10-6 shift, with only occasional weekends. my hospital, grant medical center has the level one trauma unit in columbus, and is downtown, that means all the staff for anything is there 24/7. the hospital is 1/2 mile from where the fireworks were. last night was our fireworks celebration, it's ohios' bicentenial celebration of joining the union, and columbus is the state capitol, the fireworks were longer. the hospital was more then fully staffed and ready. and i watched the fireworks from my sofa, with my dogs with the air conditioner on. .

[aly]

Whoops, the dogs and I just got back from a big shopping spree at Petsmart

It was actually fun and happy. Everyone was in a good mood because of the holiday and it was really crowded. Reece and Lolly wore their patriotic bandanas.

No matter what I do to stock up, I ALWAYS forget something and am thankful I can go to the store

I'm not arguing with your opinion Karen. I dont quite know how I feel about the stores being open Guess I never thought about it like that before.

[Twisterdog]

I have to work today. In fact, I have to work 365 days per year, every year, every day. If I didn't work, then dozens of families could not go on trips and vacations, because they would have no one to take care of their pets. I own a boarding kennel.

When I used to work in retail, they would give us a choice and let us sign up for working holidays. We were never forced. And, without fail, there were always more people wanting to work the holiday than there were shifts available. A holiday which also fell on a weekend was sometimes double our regular pay rate! I didn't mind working holidays, because you only work eight hours, at the most. You can always have your family celebration or whatever you choose to do during the other sixteen hours of the holiday.

I'm personally always thrilled and grateful to find a store open on a holiday. Not that I want to spend all day on the Fourth of July or Thanksgiving shopping for new shoes or anything ... but invariably I need something. I'll invite 30 people over for a BBQ and one of the dogs will get on the kitchen counter and eat all the hamburger buns an hour before we're supposed to eat. Or I'll be soooo sure I have a dozen eggs in the carton when I get ready to make pies Thanksgiving morning ... and my son will have scrambled ten of them for a snack the night before. Thank goodness some stores are open on holidays, for people like me!

[CathyBogart]

Hmmm, I'm in Chico right now and most places are closed today and tomorrow. ^_^ We did go out shopping, but a lot of places weren't open. Also, the guy I'm staying with would have gotten 2 1/2 times normal pay if he'd worked!

[micki76]

I worked in retail for several years in my twenties and I never once balked at working on any holiday. The $ I was paid more than made up for a BBQ with family or friends. After all, I don't need a holiday to enjoy them or to remember veterans or celebrate July 4th, we can get together anytime.
JMO

[IttyBittyKitty]

I've worked in customer service for a long time, and working public holidays is the norm.

In my current role, our customers are based in another state, so we often have to work the holidays that are state or city based only. I've no complaints ... I get 3.5 x my normal pay!!!



I do agree with Karen though - I think it is crass commercialism to have so many stores open on the day! Here in Australia, the only stores open on holidays are supermarkets and corner stores. For some holidays the major department stores and other chain stores are open too.

[kittens]

well I ended up going to a mall, to get to the movie theatre... and it was almost empty! and I got to thinking, it is kind of sad that more isn't made out of the holiday! that stores don't close!